We are at an inflection point with many aspects of medicine, not the least of which concerns choosing the correct tool to discover and manage coronary artery disease. The American landscape of clinical and imaging service providers is going through a major reshuffle. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is growing in utilization, taking its place as an established modality with AHA-, ACC- and ACR society-derived appropriate use standards. However, this growth in CT utilization and the resultant growth in per capita radiation exposure have elevated a very public debate about the risk of causing cancer versus the value of its information content.

When the final space shuttle mission launched July 8, 2011, a cardiovascular ultrasound (echocardiography) system was included in its payload, destined for the International Space Station (ISS). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) selected GE Healthcare’s Vivid q echo system following a rigorous regimen of spaceflight hardware qualification and acceptance testing.

Within the United States, the anticipated approval and launch of TAVR has received considerable attention, with speculation about who will perform the procedure. For example, many physicians are advocating a need for cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists to collaborate and work together as this technology becomes available in the United States.

At Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute – Texas Medical Center, we have expanded our already robust cardiac care offering to include radial approaches for interventional procedures. Offering radial approaches for interventional procedures has elevated Memorial Hermann’s level of patient care, by making interventions safer for patients by limiting complications.

Estimates say up to 75 percent of patients with a pacemaker will need magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over the course of their lifetime.[1] Yet as the industry has long been aware, MRIs can cause a number of adverse reactions when conducted on patients with a pacemaker. Aside from either the loss of pacing or inappropriate pacing, the MRI can cause current and heat to travel down to the heart muscle, resulting in local damage or life-threatening arrhythmias.