After two years, patients who underwent mitral valve repair or replacement for severe ischemic mitral regurgitation had no statistically significant difference in mortality, overall readmissions or serious adverse events, according to a randomized trial. However, patients in the repair group had a higher rate of recurrent mitral regurgitation and were more likely to have a heart failure adverse event, cardiovascular readmission and quality of life score.

Since the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association (AHA) and other medical societies released appropriate use criteria for coronary revascularization in 2009, the number of nonacute PCIs has significantly decreased, according to a multicenter, longitudinal, cross-sectional analysis. 

Thousands of patients at two Pennsylvania hospitals may have been exposed to a bacterial infection, Penn Live reports. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the infections were traced to heater-cooler devices that are used in open heart surgeries.

Soon after a study appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine on Oct. 5 finding potential issues with bioprosthetic aortic valves, the results generated national attention, causing some to question the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) treatment.

Only a handful of patients receive artificial hearts each year, but The Verge reports the device's manufacturers are hoping they can one day replace real hearts. Artificial hearts are now used as life support for people waiting for transplants.

Patients with acute coronary syndromes who underwent an early invasive strategy had a lower risk of cardiac death and hospitalization for MI compared with those who received a conservative approach, according to a retrospective cohort study.

An observational study involving Japanese patients undergoing PCI found the use of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) therapy was associated with a significantly higher risk of in-hospital mortality.

The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, already a major national referral center, has recently undergone a significant culture shift. The change began when Robb MacLellan, MD, joined as chief of cardiology of UW Medicine Regional Heart Center in 2011.