Gadolinium might be an alternative, stop-gap solution for interventional procedures during the current iodine contrast shortage.

Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, chair of the department of radiology at the University of Virginia and vice chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors, explains the contrast shortage situation and the tough decisions providers are being forced to make.

Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, chair of the department of radiology at the University of Virginia, vice chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors, and chairman of the ACR Commission on Interventional and Cardiovascular Radiology, explains that the iodine contrast shortage has led to use of MRI gadolinium contrast agents in some cases.

Kirk Garratt, MD, medical director of the Center for Heart and Vascular Health, ChristianaCare, and a past president of SCAI, explains what this shortage means for interventional cardiologists.

Terry Bowers, MD, director of vascular medicine at Beaumont Hospital and national co-chair of the Pulmonary Embolism Research Collaborative (PERC), explains the trend toward creating pulmonary embolism (PE) response teams that include cardiology. 

Increased volume has led to stress among endovascular stroke physicians, with some hospitals relying on interventional rads to relieve the strain. 

The Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology examined real-world data from more than 700,000 CMS patients. The group's findings were presented during TCT 2021. 

The study's authors examined data from men and women who underwent TEER with the MitraClip device in addition to guideline-directed medical therapy.