December 20, 2011 – Boston Scientific reported positive long-term data from the PERSEUS clinical program, which demonstrated favorable two-year safety and effectiveness outcomes for the Ion (Taxus Element) paclitaxel-eluting patinum chromium stent system versus prior-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents. Results were presented today by PERSEUS clinical program principal investigators Louis Cannon, M.D., of the Cardiac and Vascular Research Center of Northern Michigan in Petoskey, Mich., and Dean Kereiakes, M.D., medical director at The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center and The Lindner Research Center in Cincinnati, at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in San Francisco.

December 20, 2011 –– Howie Lindeman was facing the loss of his career and Neim Malo wasn’t supposed to see 2011. They were each treated for heart disease years ago using their own stem cells to repair their damaged heart tissue. Several years following treatment from Regenocyte, both men continue to see improvement in their condition and quality of life.

December 19, 2011 – The role of cardiovascular ultrasound in the catheterization laboratory has never been appreciated more than it is today. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) allows a multidisciplinary team of interventionalists and echocardiographers to replace a patient's diseased aortic valve without traditional open-heart surgery, enabling a new and potentially life-saving method of treatment for inoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis.

December 16, 2011 – St. Jude Medical began a voluntary recall Nov. 28 for its Riata and Riata ST Silicone Defibrillation Leads, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now classified as a Class I recall. An estimated 79,000 Riata and Riata ST family of silicone leads remain active in patients in the United States, although the company stopped selling the leads in December 2010.

December 16, 2011 — Positron Corp. announced this week that on Dec. 12, 2011, its Attrius & Attrius L positron emission tomography (PET) scanners received approval for sale in Canada.

December 15, 2011 — Neovasc Inc. announced it has received the CE mark designation for its Reducer product for the treatment of refractory angina. CE marking confirms the Reducer conforms to the applicable European Directive; this allows the product to be marketed for implantation in patients in all member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.