Here’s a roundup of companies announcing news at the 2011 Scientific Sessions for the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS).
- Stents defeat balloons in deep vein thrombosis study
Stenting is safe and effective and superior to balloon angioplasty for treatment of venous stenosis in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), according to results from the EVISTA-DVT study conducted at A.T. Still University’s Dr. Mohsen Sharifi. Dr. Sharifi presented the data as a Late-Breaking Clinical Trial at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 2011 Scientific Sessions in Baltimore.
Read more - Study: "Inappropriate" ICD shocks not the cause of mortality increase
An analysis from the ALTITUDE study, in which patients with primary-prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), with or without biventricular pacing, were followed with remote monitoring for up to five years, confirms and expands on earlier studies suggesting that inappropriate ICD shocks up mortality, reports heartwire. The data was presented at the Heart Rhythm Society 2011 Scientific Sessions by Dr. Brian Powell of Mayo Clinic.
Read more - SCAI "on offensive" with cath-lab quality initiative
The recent efforts of SCAI to improve patient care and maintain public trust in cath labs picked up steam with the launch of a five-part national quality program at SCAI, writes heartwire. As reported in the publication, SCAI is spearheading a so-far-unsuccessful effort to mandate cath-lab accreditation in Maryland as accusations that Maryland interventionalist Dr. Mark Midei implanted many stents unnecessarily continues to make news in the Old Line State.
Read more - Ablating electrical drivers in addition to pulmonary vein isolation yields results for persistent AF
The use of a diagnostic mapping system designed to locate electrical sources not traditionally ablated during conventional atrial fibrillation ablation procedures identified localized electrical rotors, or focal drivers, of AF in nearly all patients. Furthermore, ablation of these focal electrical sources, in addition to conventional wide-area circumferential ablation (WACA) of the pulmonary veins, resulted in significantly better outcomes than pulmonary vein isolation alone. The data was presented at the HRS conference.
Read more - New data shows clinical benefit of CRT in AF
Data presented as a Late Breaking Clinical Trial at the HRS conference showed the clinical benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) versus conventional right-ventricle (RV) pacing in improving heart failure (HF) in patients undergoing atrioventricular (AV) junction ablation for permanent atrial fibrillation (AF). In the clinical trial, patients receiving CRT had a 26 percent reduction in the primary composite endpoint of death from HF, hospitalization from HF, or worsening HF when compared to patients undergoing RV pacing (11 percent).
Read more - Study shows accuracy of microvolt T-Wave alternans for predicting SCA
Cambridge Heart Inc. (OTC:CAMH) announced that new data presented at the HRS confirence confirm the diagnostic value of Microvolt T-wave Alternans (MTWA) testing in identifying patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The pooled analysis of 2,883 patients shows that MTWA is a statistically significant predictor of SCA in patients whose heart muscle is damaged (ejection fraction ≤ 35%), as well as those with more preserved cardiac function (ejection fraction > 35%).
Read more - Cook Medical launches balloon-expandable renal stent at SCAI
Patients suffering from blockages of the arteries to the kidneys now have access to a new stenting treatment option with the launch today of Cook Medical’s Formula Renal Balloon-Expandable Stent at the SCAI conference. Commercial availability of the Formula follows pre-market approval by the FDA earlier this year for use in patients with atherosclerotic disease of the renal arteries.
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