May/June 2013

Messy. That is how a bioengineer once described the environment within the human body to me. Many implantable medical devices are an achievement in ingenuity that overcomes “messiness” like biocompatibility, blood and torsion. But few are indestructible or 100 percent fail-safe.

Anne M. Gillis, MD, president of the Heart Rhythm Society 
and a professor at the University of Calgary, discussed highlights of Heart Rhythm 2013 that starts May 8 in Denver and how the scientific sessions continue to evolve.

Most operators prefer a right radial approach for PCI, but left radial access offers some advantages that have begun to win over converts.

ASE members discuss recent changes to contrast enhanced stress echo.

The end of fee for service will soon rank with death and taxes. Certain. As the countdown begins, how can hospitals start the migration to more accountable, high-quality and appropriate care and protect profits in 2013’s intensely competitive environment? Start right now, advises Banner Heart Hospital CMO Mark Starling, MD.

New technologies help to lower SPECT MPI studies’ dose and acquisition time, but folding them into practice may require sacrifice.

A 68-year-old gentleman was recently referred to me by his cardiologist, who had heard a carotid bruit on a routine exam.

No longer requiring certification in general surgery prior to certification in vascular surgery created several training pathways.

Health information exchanges, decision support tools and education provide strategies to ensure appropriate use in imaging.