Cardiologists are first in world to remove unstable Watchman devices with FDA-cleared retrieval system

Hoping to improve care for these patients, Hermann et al. turned to the ŌNŌ retrieval system, a catheter-delivered device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2022. The device was developed by Ōnōcor, a U.S. healthcare startup with roots in the Penn Center for Innovation.

The ŌNŌ retrieval system pictured after removing an unstable Watchman FLX left atrial appendage occlusion device. Images courtesy of Hermann et al. and JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

A team of specialists in Houston made history, using the new-look device to treat three patients over the age of 80. The group shared its experience in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

Incidental breast calcifications on mammograms linked to much higher risk of cardiovascular disease

Breast arterial calcifications (BACs) identified on screening mammograms may help identify women who face a heightened risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new analysis published in Clinical Imaging.

Arrows illustrate breast arterial calcifications for a 65-year-old woman on a screening mammography image (mediolateral oblique and craniocaudal views). Images and caption courtesy of Clinical Imaging

These findings may say a lot more about a patient's long-term health than clinicians realized.