Daiichi Sankyo and Lilly Respond to Speculation on Status of Prasugrel New Drug Application Oct 17, 2008
Prasugrel is an investigational antiplatelet agent for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who are being managed with an artery-opening procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which is usually followed by the placement of a stent to help keep the artery open. "Daiichi Sankyo and Lilly are engaged in an ongoing dialogue with the FDA," said Jennifer Stotka, M.D., Lilly vice president of Global Regulatory Affairs. (PR Newswire)
Stress Tests Being Overlooked Prior To Angioplasty Oct 17, 2008
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, the Maine Medical Center, and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, analyzed the records of nearly 24,000 Medicare patients who were age 65 and older and undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, also known as angioplasty and cardiac stenting. The procedure is used to hold open narrowed arteries going to the heart in patients who suffer from chest pain. (InjuryBoard.com)
Angioplasty Overused in Heart Patients Oct 17, 2008
Percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI is the clinical name for angioplasty and cardiac stenting. The procedure is used to open narrowed coronary arteries in patients suffering from chronic chest pain. (eFluxMedia)
Heart Docs Often Fail to Order Tests Before Angioplasty Oct 16, 2008
Redberg was a member of a team that studied the medical records of almost 24,000 people who had what is formally called elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) -- elective meaning they had no urgent need for a PCI, which most lay people know as angioplasty. Guidelines generally say that a stress test -- in which a walk on a treadmill is done to test heart function -- should be performed in such cases. (MEDLINEplus)
Before Elective Angioplasty, Most Patients Do Not Undergo ... Oct 16, 2008
Most Medicare patients who display stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) did not undergo the recommended stress test that would confirm the necessity of the procedure, according to an article released on October 15, 2008 in JAMA.. Percutaneous coronary interventions such as angioplasty or stenting, is an often-used treatment for patients presenting with stable coronary artery disease ... Frequency of Stress Testing to Document... (Medical News Today)
HORIZONS AMI will help set guidelines for drug and stent therapy Oct 16, 2008
"These 1-year results, which are even more impressive than the 30-day data reported at TCT one year ago, ensure that HORIZONS AMI will have a dramatic and lasting impact on the way that heart attack patients are treated during percutaneous coronary intervention," said Gregg W. Stone, M.D., CRF Chairman, Professor of Medicine and the Director of Research and Education at the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, and... (EurekAlert!)
Doctors often skip key test before surgery Oct 15, 2008
The surgery, known as PCI or percutaneous coronary intervention, involves threading a balloon-tipped catheter through the arteries and opening up a clog. A tiny wire-mesh coil called a stent is often inserted to prop open the artery. (Reuters)
Stress tests to confirm need for cardiac stent not occurring in most patients, new study finds Oct 15, 2008
UCSF researchers investigating the appropriate use of procedures to open narrowed coronary arteries -- such as angioplasty and stenting -- found that less than half of Medicare patients had documented noninvasive stress testing prior to elective percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, the clinical name for such procedures. The team analyzed a 20 percent random sample of 2004 Medicare claims data, amounting to 23,887 patients who were 65 years or older. (EurekAlert!)
Triple antiplatelet therapy appears superior to dual antiplatelet therapy Oct 13, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC OCTOBER 12, 2008 Results of five research studies and a clinical registry first-report presentation scheduled for the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), suggest that triple antiplatelet therapy for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents achieves greater platelet inhibition than conventional dual antiplatelet therapy ...... (EurekAlert!)
New devices used to reduce arterial occlusions, provide cardiac support, highlighted at TCT 2008 Oct 13, 2008
The featured devices include one designed to optimize stenting of complex arterial lesions, a left ventricular assist device for patients undergoing high risk percutaneous coronary intervention and another for treating high risk diabetic and dialysis patients with peripheral artery disease ... In this study, 521 patients with complex blockages in their coronary arteries were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ... 5 versus Intraaortic Balloon Pump in Patients Undergoing... (EurekAlert!)
Datascope Announces New Clinical Trial of Intra-Aortic Balloon Counterpulsation in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction to Expand Market Utilization Oct 8, 2008
Patients enrolled in the CRISP* AMI trial will be randomized equally to usual care versus usual care plus intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) therapy prior to percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary efficacy endpoint will be a 25% reduction in infarct size due to IABC utilization. (Primezone Releases)
Core Needle Breast Biopsy Safe For Patients Taking Blood Thinners Oct 7, 2008
(May 31, 2005) Ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsies are a safe and effective alternative to endoscopic biopsies for obtaining samples in the pancreas, a new study. (Feb. (Science Daily)
Combined Minimally Invasive Procedures Offer New Option For Lumbar Degenerative Scoliosis Oct 7, 2008
"The third technology making this correction possible for these patients is the percutaneous screw that can be placed through small nicks in the skin. Using fluoroscopic guidance, we're able to place the screws into the vertebral bodies and pass the rods through the skin into position. We then connect the rods to the screws and get further correction of the curve," Anand said ... Because he was involved in the development of the percutaneous screws, he receives royalties from the manufacturer... (Science Daily)
Angioplasty Not Cost-Effective for Chronic Coronary Disease Oct 3, 2008
Some of the patients received balloon angioplasty (percutaneous coronary intervention -- PCI) plus optimal medical therapy, while others received optimal medical therapy alone. The study found that 4. (MEDLINEplus)
Drug-Eluting or Bare Metal Stents for Acute Myocardial Infarction Sep 25, 2008
Background Studies comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting and bare-metal coronary stents in acute myocardial infarction have been limited in size and duration. Methods We identified all adults undergoing PCI with stenting for acute myocardial infarction between April 1, 2003, and September 30, 2004, at any acute care, nonfederal hospital in Massachusetts with the use of a state-mandated database of PCI procedures. (New England Journal of Medicine)
VG Innovations, LLC Announces The Appointment of Moni Stein, M.D to its Scientific Advisory Board Sep 22, 2008
VG Innovations, LLC (VGI), announces that the pioneer of percutaneous spinal facet fusion procedures has been appointed to its Scientific Advisory Board ... Winston-Salem, NC (PRWEB) September 22, 2008 -- VG Innovations, LLC (VGI), announced today that the pioneer of a unique percutaneous spinal facet fusion procedure has been appointed to its Scientific Advisory Board ... His innovative research, entitled, Percutaneous Facet Fusion: Preliminary Experience, won the prestigious Society of... (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Prosthetic Vein Valve Designed To Direct Blood Flow Shows Promising Pre-clinical Results Sep 21, 2008
23, 2007) Three new studies evaluate a rapidly advancing field within interventional cardiology: percutaneous procedures to repair and replace defective heart valves. Percutaneous valve procedures, which are. (Science Daily)
Coronary Stents: Safety And Long Term Results Debated Sep 3, 2008
The European Society of Cardiology, represented by a former Past-President, Professor Marten Simoons, Thoraxcentre, Rotterdam, NL, in cooperation with the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, represented by its Chairman Professor William Wijns, Aalst, Belgium, organised a Consensus Conference in Nice where data form late follow-up of trials and registries was reviewed ... The only regulatory body which issued a specific recommendation (the National Institute of... (Science Daily)
SCAI: SYNTAX Data Show PCI Is a Good Option for Patients With Complex Coronary Artery Disease Sep 2, 2008
The SYNTAX (SYNergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery) study found that the less-invasive option of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents had rates of heart attack and death no different from bypass surgery after one year. "Starting today, I can tell my patients with left main and multi-vessel disease that angioplasty and drug-eluting stents are just as safe for them as surgery in terms of death or heart attack," says Dr. Ted... (PR Newswire)
Landmark SYNTAX Trial Reports Comparable Safety Outcomes for Complex Patients Treated With TAXUS(R) Express2(TM) Stents or Bypass Surgery Sep 2, 2008
and MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: ) today announced one-year data from its landmark SYNTAX trial comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using the TAXUS(R) Express2(TM) Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent System to contemporary coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The overall results demonstrated no statistically significant differences between PCI and CABG in rates of death or myocardial infarction (MI). (PR Newswire)
SCAI: CARDia Data Find Diabetic Patients With Complex Heart Disease Can Safely Choose PCI Sep 2, 2008
At the European Society of Cardiology Congress (Munich, Germany), investigators from the United Kingdom presented the results of CARDia (Coronary Artery Revascularization in Diabetes), a clinical trial comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) vs. open-heart surgery in patients typically considered to be poor candidates for angioplasty and stenting. Since the combination of diabetes and multi-vessel coronary artery disease has long been considered the domain of surgeons, their findings... (PR Newswire)
Angioplasty Scoring System Predicts Risk of Death Aug 29, 2008
The Mayo Clinic Risk Score (MCRS) uses seven simple clinical and non-invasive variables to predict in-hospital death for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the most widely performed heart revascularization process in the United States. In 2005, doctors in the United States did more than 1. (MEDLINEplus)
Comedian Dana Carvey To Be A Special Guest At "Controversies And Advances" Symposium For Heart Specialists Aug 27, 2008
Topic: "A Tribute to Andreas Gruentzig: A 30-year Odyssey and His Legacy of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.". Eduardo Marb;n, M.D., Ph. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Angioplasty No Better Than Drug Treatment in Long Run Aug 15, 2008
Earlier analysis found improved quality of life for those having the artery-opening procedure that is formally called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The latest report, in the Aug. 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, found that by 36 months, there was no significant difference in health status between the two treatment groups. (MEDLINEplus)
Drugs, angioplasty give similar life quality: study Aug 14, 2008
The surgery, known as PCI for percutaneous coronary intervention, may provide more short-term relief for some patients with severe or more frequent chest but the benefits tend to fade over the years, the international team of researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. They assessed 2,287 volunteers in 50 U.S. and Canadian medical centers as part of a study called COURAGE, for Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation. (Scientific American)
Bivalirudin vs. Unfractionated Heparin during PCI Aug 14, 2008
NEJM -- Bivalirudin versus Unfractionated Heparin during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ... Bivalirudin versus Unfractionated Heparin during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ... Background Whether bivalirudin is superior to unfractionated heparin in patients with stable or unstable angina who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after pretreatment with clopidogrel is unknown. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Effect of PCI on Quality of Life in Patients with Stable Coronary Disease Aug 14, 2008
Background It has not been clearly established whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can provide an incremental benefit in quality of life over that provided by optimal medical therapy among patients with chronic coronary artery disease. Methods We randomly assigned 2287 patients with stable coronary disease to PCI plus optimal medical therapy or to optimal medical therapy alone. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Finding the Courage to Reconsider Medical Therapy for Stable Angina Aug 14, 2008
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which was limited at that time to balloon angioplasty, was an alternative. However, the risks associated with the procedure and the rate of restenosis largely relegated it to second-line therapy for patients who did not have a response to best medical therapy. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Ospedale Niguarda Ca' Granda-Milano Adopts Latest Technology to Treat Patients with Heart Failure Aug 6, 2008
The catheter-based, percutaneous device addresses patients suffering from acute decompensated heart failure by moving blood from an iliac artery to the descending aorta through the use of an extracorporeal circulatory support ... The percutaneous Cancion System bears the CE mark of conformity, and the implantable Exeleras(R) System is in development. (PR Newswire)
Endoscopic Circumferential Ablation Promising For Barrett's Esophagus With High-grade Dysplasia Aug 5, 2008
9, 2006) Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation, a procedure that uses a high frequency electric current to kill tumor cells, is effective in achieving local control in selected patients with metastasis from. . (Science Daily)
Time to Take Myocardial Reperfusion Injury Seriously Jul 31, 2008
1 Timely and effective reperfusion with the use of either primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or thrombolytic therapy remains the most effective treatment strategy for limiting the size of the myocardial infarct, preserving left ventricular ejection fraction, and improving the clinical outcomes in such patients. However, despite optimal reperfusion therapy, morbidity and mortality remain substantial, with about 5 to 6% of patients having a subsequent cardiovascular event by 30 days. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Stents versus Bypass Grafting for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease Jul 24, 2008
To the Editor: Seung et al. (April 24 issue)1 report that there was no significant difference in rates of death and major cardiovascular events between matched cohorts of patients undergoing coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for left main coronary artery disease a finding that contrasts with recently published data. 2 The authors, however, did not consider variables that are significantly and independently associated with in-hospital or 30-day... (New England Journal of Medicine)
Heart Attack Not A Death Sentence Jul 22, 2008
(May 10, 2007) When compared with intensive drug therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, angioplasty) was more beneficial in reducing the long-term risk of major cardiac events among heart attack. (Feb. (Science Daily)
PCI preference -- will that be an arm or a leg? Jul 19, 2008
Researchers reviewed data from 593,094 cases of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 606 hospitals across the U.S. included in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry from 2004 to 2007. They tracked the incidence of radial PCI (r-PCI) versus leg or femoral PCI (f-PCI) during that period and calculated which patients were more likely to get which option. (EurekAlert!)
Blood Vessel Inhibitor Shows Promise Against Metastatic Thyroid Cancer Jul 7, 2008
(June 5, 2007) Percutaneous ethanol injection -- an injection of ethanol through the skin directly into a bone tumor to kill cancer cells -- may be a valuable ancillary treatment for thyroid cancer patients whose. (Oct. (Science Daily)
First Pharmaceutical Drug To Improve Survival Amongst Patients With Advanced Hepatocarcinoma Jun 30, 2008
In more than half the cases local curative treatment such as surgery, transplant or percutaneous ablation; or palliative ones, such as arterial embolisation or radioembolisation with radioactive spheres, can be applied. In the rest of the cases, the prognosis is not good but, in the last five years, there have appeared more than ten pharmaceutical medicines known as biological agents or directed pharmaceutical drugs, the use of which in this tumour is currently being actively investigated,... (Science Daily)
Wellstar Kennestone meets top benchmark for treating heart attacks Jun 28, 2008
By The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/27/08. New data has revealed that 100 percent of WellStar Kennestone Hospital of Marietta's eligible heart attack patients in the first quarter of this year were treated in 90 minutes or less, with a median time of 58 minutes, Wellstar said Friday. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Business)
Acute Calculous Cholecystitis Jun 26, 2008
Percutaneous Cholecystostomy. Guidelines. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Drug-Releasing Stents Decrease Repeat Cardiac Procedures Jun 25, 2008
0 percent, percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries]; 4. 2 percent, coronary artery bypass graft [CABG]). (Newsmax)
FDA Extends Review Period for Daiichi Sankyo, Lilly Investigative Antiplatelet Drug, Prasugrel Jun 24, 2008
The proposed indication for prasugrel is for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) being managed with an artery- opening procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Daiichi Sankyo and Lilly also confirm the start this month, as planned, of the TRILOGY ACS trial, a large Phase III clinical trial to compare the effects of prasugrel against clopidogrel (Plavix(R)/Iscover(R)) in medically managed ACS patients. (PR Newswire)
First gene therapy for heart failure offered at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Jun 19, 2008
Patients enrolled in the multicenter CUPID trial (Calcium Up-Regulation by Percutaneous Administration of Gene Therapy in Cardiac Disease) will undergo a minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedure that will introduce a specially engineered gene that stimulates production of an enzyme necessary for the heart to pump more efficiently. "This new therapy seeks to replenish the levels of this enzyme by introducing the gene for SERCA2a, which is depressed in these patients. If proven... (EurekAlert!)
Non-Surgical Approach Can Treat Lung Cancers Jun 18, 2008
In the study, expected to be published in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology, 88 percent of lung cancer patients responded well to treatment with percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA is performed in less than an hour and is a non-surgical procedure that targets large tumors with no harm to surrounding healthy tissue. (Health-Finder)
Artery-Opening Method Works Well in Women Jun 11, 2008
The study in the June 17 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology is a marker in a fading debate about the value for women of what cardiologists call percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), in which a balloon-tipped catheter is inserted to open a blocked blood vessel. Older studies have reported a lower use of PCI for women and a higher death rate for those getting the intervention. (MEDLINEplus)
Screening for Down Syndrome Jun 8, 2008
If the risk is high, the physician may recommend diagnostic testing such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS), amniocentesis or percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS). The copyright of the article Screening for Down Syndrome in General Medicine is owned by. (Suite101.com)
New technique for heart attacks Jun 8, 2008
7 per cent who received the usual treatment percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ... The article reported on the one-year follow-up from a called the Thrombus Aspiration during Percutaneous coronary intervention in Acute myocardial infarction Study (TAPAS) ... Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is suitable for some patients with heart attacks: those that have a catheter (tube) inserted in the groin and fed into the coronary artery where a balloon is inflated to re-open the artery. (NHS Choices)
Sucking out Clot Debris Helps Heart Attack Patients Jun 7, 2008
All 1,071 people in the trial were given emergency treatment called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the kind of heart attack formally called ST-elevation myocardial infarction, a term that refers to the pattern traced out by an electrocardiogram. The usual treatment is insertion of a balloon-tipped catheter to reopen the blocked coronary artery. (MEDLINEplus)
Medical Center Hospital receives Chest Pain Center accreditation May 29, 2008
"The Chest Pain Center Accreditation was a project that they themselves pursued and achieved. The CPC Accreditation speaks to the professionalism and dedication of the staff in the CPC, as well as the collegiality of the staff in The Center for Heart Disease. (Chest Pain Center, ED, ED physicians, Cardiology and the Cath Lab)." Neckels continued "It is the coordination of these departments and the relationships between these departments that allowed us to be successful not just in getting... (Odessa American, TX)
Portsmouth Regional Hospital gets low marks May 27, 2008
Portsmouth gave PCI (Percutaneous coronary intervention, which is often the first treatment of choice for a type of heart attack that occurs when one of the coronary arteries is completely blocked, according the American Heart Association) in only 47 percent of the cases, while Exeter gave PCI to 93 percent of those with this type of heart attack and Wentworth-Douglass gave it in 67 percent of these cases. The goal of PCI is to prevent the death of heart muscle cells by restoring coronary blood... (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Cardiac Rehab Referrals Up, But Not Enrollment May 24, 2008
Among the factors associated with higher referral rates were inpatient physical therapy consultation and percutaneous coronary intervention, also referred to as angioplasty, which involves insertion of a catheter into the coronary artery to remove the blockage that caused the heart attack. The researchers point out that referral rates were higher than the 10 to 15 percent reported in other studies. (MEDLINEplus)
Findings released from 1 of the largest percutaneous coronary intervention trials ever May 24, 2008
HORIZONS-AMI is the largest study ever to focus on the appropriate use of anticoagulant medications in patients experiencing STEMI and undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Only 7. (EurekAlert!)
Mixed Results for Anti-Clotting Drugs in Heart Attacks May 23, 2008
They are supposed to get what used to be called angioplasty and now goes by the formal medical name of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), in which a balloon-tipped catheter is threaded into a blocked artery, preferably within three hours of the attack. That goal is hard to achieve in many cases, often because a hospital equipped for PCI isn't close enough. (MEDLINEplus)
Biopure Announces 2008 Second Quarter Financial Results May 22, 2008
The paper is entitled "Proof-of-concept trial to evaluate haemoglobin based oxygen therapeutics in elective percutaneous coronary revascularization. Rationale, protocol design, and haemodynamic results." The manuscript was authored by principal investigator Patrick W. Serruys, MD, PhD and colleagues of the Department of Interventional Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The paper concluded that this trial represents an important next step in the clinical development... (PR Newswire)
Antithrombotic Therapy to Support Primary PCI May 22, 2008
1,2 The selection of the reperfusion strategy, either the preferred percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or fibrinolysis, is usually driven by institutional access to primary PCI. Thus, the decision that clinicians most commonly grapple with at the time of the patient's presentation is the selection of adjunctive anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy ... Bivalirudin Alone During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Bivalirudin during PCI for Acute Myocardial Infarction May 22, 2008
Background Treatment with the direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin, as compared with heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, results in similar suppression of ischemia while reducing hemorrhagic complications in patients with stable angina and non ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The safety and efficacy of bivalirudin in high-risk patients are unknown. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Thrombolytic Therapy and Primary PCI May 22, 2008
Sir Winston Churchill once said, "It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required." Such a sentiment underlies the premise of facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a therapeutic strategy of pharmacologic thrombolysis before mechanical intervention for the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction ... Facilitated Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Segment-Elevation MI: Achieving Closure. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Sahajanand Medical Technologies PAINT Trial Results Support Safety and Efficacy of the Infinnium and Supralimus Stents May 21, 2008
Ltd. (SMT), Surat, India, leading developer and manufacturer of drug-eluting stents, welcomed the positive results of the prospective, randomized nine months results of PAINT trial (PercutAneous INTervention with biodegradable- polymer based paclitaxel-eluting, sirolimus-eluting, or bare stents for the treatment of de novo coronary lesions). The PAINT study was designed with a unique 3-arm format that allows the evaluation of three stents that only differ on the presence and/or type of drug (all... (PR Newswire)
First Veterinary Corneal Implant Procedure In U.S. Performed On Dog May 14, 2008
29, 2007) The veterinary hospital at Oklahoma State University's Center for Veterinary Health Sciences offers percutaneous laser disc ablation surgery for canines and is the sole provider worldwide of the. (Feb. (Science Daily)
ASGE issues updated guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis for gastrointestinal endoscopy May 14, 2008
Examples of these special situations are prevention of cholangitis after ERCP with incomplete drainage of bile duct obstruction, prevention of pancreatic cyst infection after fine needle aspirate at endoscopic ultrasound or after injection of contrast at ERCP, and prior to placement of a percutaneous feeding tube placement. ASGE Guidelines. (EurekAlert!)
Mitral Valve Leak Repaired Through Tiny Puncture Hole Using Live 3D Images May 13, 2008
The minimally invasive technique is called a percutaneous paravalvular leak repair, and it is performed in a catheterization lab rather than in an operating room. The duct occluder is made of a metal mesh that holds its place once deployed in the leak. (Science Daily)
Patients Arriving At Hospitals In Off Hours Get Slower, Less Care Apr 23, 2008
After adjusting for baseline characteristics, patients arriving during off hours were 7 percent less likely to undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 6 percent less likely to undergo PCI or another type of revascularization called coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) compared with patients arriving during regular hours. "Emergency angioplasty, or PCI, is the preferred procedure after an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, which is a heart attack caused by a... (Science Daily)
Patients Receive Heart Valve Replacements Without Surgery Using High-tech Device Apr 21, 2008
We were able to successfully implant the Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve percutaneously in the first three patients treated in this trial ... 23, 2007) Three new studies evaluate a rapidly advancing field within interventional cardiology: percutaneous procedures to repair and replace defective heart valves ... Percutaneous valve procedures, which are. (Science Daily)
Primary PCI in ST-Segment Elevation MI Apr 17, 2008
7% of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction when paramedics interpreted the electrocardiograms (ECGs) and directly referred the patients to a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) center, as compared with 11. 9% of patients referred from emergency departments of the area's hospitals (including the PCI center). (New England Journal of Medicine)
New Technique In Treating Patients With Liver Cancer Proves Effective, Study Suggests Apr 15, 2008
9, 2006) Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation, a procedure that uses a high frequency electric current to kill tumor cells, is effective in achieving local control in selected patients with metastasis from. (Mar. (Science Daily)
New equipment approved for heart attack victims Apr 11, 2008
The comprehensive cardiac care system would designate the hospitals as ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction, or STEMI, receiving centers capable of performing an emergency cardiac catheterization method known as percutaneous coronary intervention, a procedure used to reopen clogged arteries. Receiving this procedure, which uses a catheter threaded into the coronary artery to open the blockage, within 90 minutes of arrival at a hospital is believed to result in a 38 percent reduction in the... (Palo Alto Online, CA)
SAPPHIRE trial shows long-term benefit of carotid stenting as alternative to surgery Apr 11, 2008
Carotid artery stenting is a non-surgical, percutaneous procedure in which a small plastic tube called a catheter is inserted through an artery in the leg and threaded to the blockage in the neck. A thin wire (guidewire), which has a collapsible umbrella-like filter device attached to its end, is advanced passed the blockage. (EurekAlert!)
