Cardiac Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery includes coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), heart valve repair or replacement, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement, heart transplant, assisting in minimally invasive transcatheter valve structural heart procedures such as TAVR, left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion, septal myectomy, surgical ablation for arrhythmias, and reconstruction of the heart in congenial heart disease cases.

TAVR, SAVR linked to similar QOL improvements for intermediate-risk patients after five years
TAVR was initially associated with greater benefits than surgery, but that difference faded by the end of the first year.
Q&A: Cleveland Clinic’s Lars Svensson previews AATS annual meeting
Svensson, a prominent voice in cardiothoracic surgery, said he has seen a rise in enthusiasm ahead of this year's meeting.
TAVR or SAVR? ChatGPT could help cardiologists decide
Researchers asked ChatGPT to make treatment decisions for patients with severe aortic stenosis, comparing its answers to the recommendations of a full heart team.
Anemia may help explain why women are more likely to die during heart bypass surgery
Finding new ways to avoid intraoperative anemia could go a long way toward improving outcomes for female CABG patients. The full analysis, based on more than 1.4 million patients, was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
FDA announces new recall of Abbott’s HeartMate LVADs after 14 deaths
The issue at the center of this recall, which includes both the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 LVAD, is the gradual buildup of biological materials. This can impact the device's performance, creating a heightened risk of injury or death.

Ted Abraham, MD, explains ASE efforts to increase HCM education and standardization of care. #HCM #ASE #ASE23 #ASE2023

All eyes are on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy now that a drug treatment is in place

Ted Abraham, MD, explained why HCM has entered the limelight at recent cardiology conferences, including ASE 2023.

July 5, 2023

MASA Valve PECA Labs polymeric pulmonary valve Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The MASA Valve is a polymeric pulmonary valve designed and manufactured by Pennsylvania-based PECA Labs. It features a proprietary bi-leaflet design and was designed to grow with the patient, limiting the need for repeat surgeries. While the MASA Valve is not yet fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it has received the agency’s humanitarian use device and investigation device exemptions.

New polymeric heart valve, designed to grow with pediatric patients, implanted for first time

The new-look pulmonary valve features a proprietary bi-leaflet design and was designed to grow with the patient, limiting the need for repeat surgeries.

June 30, 2023

Large peridevice leaks after left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) are incredibly rare and not associated with a greater risk of adverse outcomes, according to new research published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.[1] Smaller residual links are more common, however, and associated with a risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events.

How to encourage shared decision-making when treating aortic stenosis

Diagnosing, treating and managing aortic stenosis is often a challenging task, especially when the patient has a long life expectancy. Shared decision-making can make a significant impact, helping ensure the patient's values and preferences are taken into consideration.

June 22, 2023

Top 20 children’s hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery

Did your facility make the cut? For its 2023-2024 list, U.S. News and World Report evaluated data from 119 hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists.

June 21, 2023

How a New Hampshire heart surgeon racked up 21 malpractice settlements

A law firm hired to investigate the situation reviewed more than 300,000 pages of documents and conducted more than 250 hours of interviews.

June 14, 2023

Mitral valve repair: How a minimally invasive approach compares to conventional surgery

Researchers compared minithoracotomy, a minimally invasive procedure for treating degenerative mitral regurgitation, with conventional surgery, sharing their findings in JAMA. The research was previously presented as a late-breaking study at ACC.23.

June 14, 2023

Rethinking SAVR in the TAVR era: New Cleveland Clinic study explores data from nearly 3,500 patients

SAVR may be even safer for low-risk patients than previously believed, according to new research published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. What does this tell us about patient care going forward?

June 13, 2023

FDA warns healthcare providers about recalled CPB, ECMO devices

Multiple medical devices used during cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation procedures have been voluntarily recalled due to issues with their packaging.

June 12, 2023

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Health Imaging

New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Radiology Business

What does radiology have to do with climate change?

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

Cardiac Surgery

TAVR, SAVR linked to similar QOL improvements for intermediate-risk patients after five years

Q&A: Cleveland Clinic’s Lars Svensson previews AATS annual meeting

TAVR or SAVR? ChatGPT could help cardiologists decide

Anemia may help explain why women are more likely to die during heart bypass surgery

FDA announces new recall of Abbott’s HeartMate LVADs after 14 deaths

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