September 9, 2011 — Angioslide Ltd. announced the first procedures with its new 5 x 300 mm Proteus device for treating the superficial femoral artery (SFA). The technology combines a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon and embolic capture of particles in one device. The new 5 x 300 mm size joins Angioslide's current dedicated product line solutions for the lower limbs.

Abbott announced the initiation of ABSORB BTK, an international clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) for the treatment of below-the-knee (BTK) critical limb ischemia. Critical limb ischemia, a severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD), occurs when blocked vessels impair blood flow to the lower extremities, which can eventually lead to limb amputation. Absorb restores blood flow by opening a blocked vessel and providing support to the vessel until the device dissolves within approximately two years. The first patient was enrolled into the ABSORB BTK trial by Marc Bosiers, M.D., head of the Department of Vascular Surgery at St. Blasius Hospital in Dendermonde, Belgium.

September 8, 2011 – Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) counterpulsation prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) does not reduce infarct size as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to results from the Counterpulsation Reduces Infarct Size Acute Myocardial Infarction (CRISP AMI) trial. The results were discussed during the recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting in Paris, France.

September 6, 2011 — The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) released the latest version of its guidelines for managing patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation. This version replaces earlier editions of 2000, 2002 and 2007. The new guidelines also incorporate the findings of very recent studies.

September 6, 2011 — Mesoblast Ltd. announced it received clearance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to begin a 225-patient multi-center Phase 2 European clinical trial for Revascor, its lead cardiovascular product. The study is being conducted in conjunction with angioplasty and stent procedures to gauge ability to prevent heart failure after a major heart attack.

September 1, 2011 – Results from CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG Registry Cohort-2 show that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with significantly higher risk for serious adverse events in patients with triple vessel disease than coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The protective effect of CABG for myocardial infarction was described as "especially remarkable." In view of these results, said investigator Hiroki Shiomi, M.D., from Kyoto University Hospital in Japan, "CABG would still remain the standard treatment option in patients with triple vessel disease, particularly when their SYNTAX scores are high.”