Each year, I find it interesting that some “new” technology being introduced by a vendor is actually an old, recycled idea.  

A Siemens information technology executive showed me a video from the late 1970s of him as a young man demonstrating a futuristic computer system. It stored radiology images and reports electronically to eliminate the need for paper medical records. It was an idea 20 years ahead of its time, when the concept of a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) was very foreign. 


Each year, I find it interesting that some “new” technology being introduced by a vendor is actually an old, recycled idea.  

An unusual exhibitor that seemed very out of place on the expo floor of the Heart Rhythm Society 2012 annual meeting was Ford Motor Company.  Engineers, standing next to a brand new Ford sport utility vehicle,  were there to get feedback from electrophysiologists on the use of car seats that can automatically monitor the driver’s electrocardiogram (ECG) whenever they are driving. 

 

The electrocardiogram (ECG) stress test remains one of the most widely used diagnostic tools for detecting coronary heart disease. While the basics of stress test systems have changed little since their adoption, technologies continue to evolve to improve waveform analysis as well as connectivity to electronic medical records (EMRs) and wireless data acquisition capabilities.

 

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a noninvasive tool that can be used for identifying myocardial ischemia and coronary artery plaques. It acts as a proven prognostic/diagnostic tool for patients who are asymptomatic as well as in the mild- to medium-risk spectrum of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Atherectomy devices are used in the cath lab to debulk lesions by cutting or laser ablating plaque, calcium and tissue hyperplasia from vessel walls, allowing recanalization of the vessel lumen as an end in itself, or in preparation for stenting. While some devices have an indication for the coronaries, the primary use of these devices is forperipheral artery disease (PAD) in the legs. 

There are currently three major trends in cardiovascular computed tomography (CT) technology — lowering radiation dose, development of myocardial perfusion imaging and the use of CT datasets for procedural planning, especially for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). 

 

There is much discussion about the possibility of using transradial artery access to help reduce door-to-balloon times in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Northside Hospital, Tampa Bay Heart Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., tested this theory and found transradial helped lower door-to-balloon times and hospital length-of-stay.   

 
Mercy Medical Center Chicago, hybrid OR, TAVR, TAVER, heart team

Cath lab volumes have gone down in recent years for several reasons, but one of the biggest reasons might be market saturation. This is certainly the case in Chicago, where nearly every hospital has a cath lab, resulting in relatively low volumes at most centers, despite the fact they are located in the largest city in the Midwest. 
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