Illustration of the Watchman transcatheter left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder being  deployed into the LAA. FDA is concerned about higher rates of LAA occlusion complications in women compared to men, prompting the FDA to send a letter to providers warning them on possible poor outcomes.
September 27, 2021
FDA Concerned About Higher Rates of LAA Occlusion Complications in Women
September 27, 2021 — Compared with men undergoing left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), women have a significantly…
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Test selection should be a shared decision between patient and physician rather than directed by insurers’ test substitution policies, according to a statement published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.[1] The statement summarizes the proceedings of a recent summit convened by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), leadership of the American College of Cardiology Imaging Council, American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
September 22, 2021
Cardiovascular Imaging Organizations Denounce Test Substitution by Insurance Companies
September 22, 2021 — Test selection should be a shared decision between patient and physician rather than directed by…
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Cardiothoracic surgeons with UofL Health – Jewish Hospital and the University of Louisville performed the world’s first Carmat Aeson bioprosthetic total artificial heart implantation in a female patient on Sept. 14, 2021. The device was small enough to fit into the woman's smaller chest cavity. The device is being tested as a bridge to heart transplant rather than use of a LVAD. Photo by UofL Health.
September 22, 2021
First Woman in World Receives New Type of Artificial Heart 
September 22, 2021 — A cardiothoracic surgical team with University of Louisville Health – Jewish Hospital has…
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ESC Releases Guidelines on Heart Failure Management
September 21, 2021
ESC Releases Guidelines on Heart Failure Management
September 21, 2021 — The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and…
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Medtronic is recalling its Pipeline Flex Embolization Device and Pipeline Flex Embolization Device with Shield Technology, which are transcatheter devices used to seal brain aneurysms. The company said there is a risk of the delivery system’s wire and tubes fracturing and breaking off when the system is being used to place, retrieve, or move the stent inside a patient.
September 21, 2021
Medtronic Recalls Neurovascular Pipeline Flex Embolization Devices for Risk of Fractures During Placement, Retrieval or Movement of Device
September 21, 2021 — Medtronic is recalling its Pipeline Flex Embolization Device and Pipeline Flex Embolization Device…
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the company's Portico with FlexNav transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system to treat people with symptomatic, severe aortic stenosis who are at high or extreme risk for open-heart surgery. 
By Dave Fornell, Editor
September 20, 2021
FDA Clears Abbott Portico TAVR System to Treat Aortic Valve Disease
September 20, 2021 — Abbott announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the company's…
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A rise in coronavirus, COVID-19, has prompted the American Heart Association (AHA) to cancel plans for an in-person, annual meeting in November and again host a virtual meeting instead. Getty images #AHA21 #AHA
September 20, 2021
American Heart Association Cancels In-Person Meeting and Goes Virtual Again Due to COVID
September 20, 2021 — The American Heart Association (AHA) announced Sept. 16 it decided to convert from a planned in-…
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By Aaron Detate and Lars Thording
September 14, 2021
The Growing Need for Reprocessing in the Cardiac Cath Lab
In the electrophysiology (EP) lab, hundreds of thousands of used devices are sent to reprocessors every year to get…
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Us2.ai has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its artificial intelligence (AI) Us2.v1 software, a completely automated decision support tool for echocardiography.
September 14, 2021
FDA Clears Fully Automated Cardiac Ultrasound Solution to Measure 2D and Doppler
September 14, 2021 – Us2.ai, a Singapore-based medtech firm backed by Sequoia India and EDBI, has received U.S. Food…
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MedAxiom conducetd a survey of hospitals that offer cardiac rehab, cardiovascular rehabilitation, programs to find out the costs, how they are staffed and how they are implemented.
September 14, 2021
MedAxiom Survey Highlights Cardiac Rehab Industry Insights and Best Practices
September 14, 2021 – MedAxiom, an American College of Cardiology (ACC) company, released a report detailing cardiac…
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Non-invasive evaluation of heart valves using echocardiography first, and other cardiac imaging techniques when needed, is the key evaluation of heart valves in the new ESC and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. Photo by Dave Fornell.
September 13, 2021
New European Guidelines on Valvular Heart Disease Published
September 13, 2021 — The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (…
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A nurse at Banner Health ion Phoenix, Ariz., adjusts an ECMO unit being used to support a severely ill COVID-19 patient. A new study finds high levels of moral distress among clinicians who regularly care for patients receiving mechanical circulatory support such as ECMO.
September 13, 2021
Growing Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support Affects Clinician Well-Being, Moral Distress
September 13, 2021 — The growing use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) may contribute to high levels of moral…
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Ablation and Biventricular Pacing Boosts Survival in Selected Atrial Fibrillation Patients in APAF-CRT Trial. #ESC #ESCcongress
September 13, 2021
Ablation and Biventricular Pacing Boosts Survival in Selected Atrial Fibrillation Patients in APAF-CRT Trial
September 13, 2021 — Ablation plus cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is superior to pharmacological rate control…
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Siemens Artis Q angiography system #ESC #ESCcongress
September 13, 2021
TOMAHAWK Trial Does Not Support Early Coronary Angiography in Cardiac Arrest Without ST-elevation
September 13, 2021 — Early coronary angiography in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients without ST-segment…
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An example of artificial intelligence on the GE Healthcare Vivid E95 system shown at ASE 2019 where the AI automatically pulls in an exam, identifies the left ventricle and myocardial boards and then calculates all the strain measurements in less than 10 seconds. While AI automation can greatly speed workflow, there are questions about the accuracy of AI for the next step in making diagnoses.  #ASE #ASE21 #ASE2021 #AI
By Dave Fornell, Editor
September 08, 2021
Challenges to Implementing Artificial Intelligence in Cardiac Ultrasound
Artificial intelligence (AI) is growing in all areas of medicine and was the topic of several advanced technology…
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Systematic FFR Assessment Did Not Add Benefit During Diagnostic Angiography.
September 08, 2021
Systematic FFR Assessment Did Not Add Benefit During Diagnostic Angiography
September 8, 2021 — Adding systematic fractional flow reserve (FFR) assessment to coronary angiography does not reduce…
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The Medtronic Linq II implantable cardiac monitor.
September 08, 2021
Continuous Heart Rhythm Monitoring and Anticoagulation Does Not Prevent Stroke
September 8, 2021 — Continuous heart rhythm monitoring – with anticoagulation if atrial fibrillation is detected – does…
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A 3-D CT reconstructed image showing a narrow lesion at the carotid bifurcation. ACST-2 was the largest trial to compare the long-term effect of carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on stroke in asymptomatic patients with a severely narrowed carotid artery that had not yet caused a stroke. Image by Canon
September 07, 2021
Carotid Surgery Versus Stenting Have Similar Long-term Effects on Stroke
September 7, 2021 — Carotid artery surgery and stenting have comparable long-term effects on fatal or disabling stroke…
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The Medtronic Reveal Linq implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) was used in the SMART-MI study. It is inserted under the skin in a simple, fast outpatient procedure. The device is smaller than a AAA battery.
September 07, 2021
Implantable Cardiac Monitors Predict Complications in Selected Post-myocardial Infarction Patients
September 7, 2021 — Remote monitoring of implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs) is highly effective for early detection of…
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COVID in cardiology was again a key driver of content pageviews on DAIC in August 2021. Also, a key new technology that cardiologists had a lot of interest in was the release of 3D/4D intra-cardiac echocardiography (ICE) to better guide EP and structural heart procedures without the need for transesophageal echo and its associated need for deep anesthesia. 
By Dave Fornell, Editor
September 03, 2021
Most Popular Cardiology Technology Content in August 2021
September 3, 2021 — Here is the list of the most popular content on the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology (DAIC…
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