• Recent News Releases

    May 10, 2012

    Trip to the Ob/Gyn Can Be a Heart-Warning Experience

    An innovative program that screens women for heart disease during a visit to the gynecologist has found that nearly one in eight women has three or more cardiac risk factors but many don’t know it, according to a study presented today at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.
    May 10, 2012

    First ACE Accreditations Highlight Common Problem Areas in Cath Labs

    The first 10 cardiac catheterization laboratories to undergo review by Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) all welcomed the evaluation by outside experts and worked hard to prepare for site visits. Still, review teams found insufficiencies in record-keeping and other quality metrics at well-run medical centers, according to two studies presented today at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.
    May 10, 2012

    Hybrid Procedure Offers Heart Patients Best of Both Worlds

    A hybrid technique that combines coronary stenting with minimally invasive, robotically assisted bypass surgery both reduces the risk of surgical complications and speeds recovery in patients with multiple blockages of the coronary arteries, according to a study presented today at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.
    May 10, 2012

    Self-Expanding and Balloon-Expandable Stent Systems Perform Well in Study of Real-World Peripherial Artery Disease Patients

    Two types of stent systems are both effective in treating patients who have severe forms of peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to results of the MOBILITY trial presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.
    May 10, 2012

    Treatment with Ixmyelocel-T Shown to Improve Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients

    An investigational therapy derived from a patient’s own bone marrow stem cells improves heart function in some patients with progressive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), according to the results of a Phase 2a study presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.
    May 10, 2012

    Founders’ Lecture Highlights Advances in Percutaneous Valve Therapy

    A decade ago, many people didn’t believe that replacing a heart valve could be done without opening the chest. Today in a keynote Founders’ Lecture at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions, Ted Feldman, MD, FSCAI, will explore how catheter-based, or percutaneous, valve therapies are giving high-risk patients a new lease on life—and may soon be the accepted treatment for a wide range of patients.
    May 10, 2012

    Dr. Julio Palmaz Focuses on Stent Development in Mullins Lecture

    When Julio Palmaz, MD, began his groundbreaking work on balloon-expandable stents in the late 1970s, he wasn’t thinking of sick kids. But thanks to his spirit of innovation and a fruitful collaboration with pediatric cardiology pioneer Dr. Charles E. Mullins, Dr. Palmaz forever changed the lives of children with congenital heart disease.
    May 10, 2012

    Study Shows Robotically Enhanced PCI IS Safe and Feasible for Many Patients

    A robotic system can safely assist interventional cardiologists in performing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) while significantly reducing the physician’s exposure to radiation and improving precision and control, according to results of the PRECISE study (CorPath Percutaneous Robotically-Enhance Coronary Intervention Study), presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.
    May 09, 2012

    New Criteria Provide Guidance about When (and When Not) to Use Cardiac Catheterization to Look for Heart Problems

    Cardiac catheterization – an invasive diagnostic procedure that allows doctors to see the vessels and arteries leading to the heart and its chambers – is performed thousands of times in the United States each year and, in some cases, can be the best method to diagnose heart problems. Still, the procedure is costly and may pose risks to certain patients, so determining when the benefits of performing the procedure outweigh the risks is essential. A new report issued today by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) in collaboration with a dozen other professional societies provides detailed criteria to help clinicians determine when cardiac catheterization is a reasonable option for the evaluation of patients for heart disease.
    May 09, 2012

    Easy-to-Use Risk Score Guides Decisions on Carotid Stenting; High-Risk Patients Identified Without Need for Invasive Angiography

    A simple clinical assessment performed in the doctor’s office can identify patients who are at high risk for stroke and other major complications following a procedure to clear blockages from the neck arteries that supply blood to the brain, according to a study presented today at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions. The assessment, which includes just five clinical characteristics and requires no invasive tests, provides valuable guidance to patients considering stenting for carotid artery disease.