Physicians recognize the importance of ventricular assist devices (VADs) every time a congestive heart failure (CHF) patient awaiting transplantation gets a therapeutic bridge. But VADs are playing an increasingly critical role not just in improving patient outcomes but also in cutting overall healthcare costs.

With the recent introduction of new VAD models and upgrades in the U.S., in addition to new devices entering final clinical trials this year, these technological innovations promise to further bridge the gaps in both patient care and healthy healthcare spend.

Cardiology fellows are expanding their knowledge in cardiovascular imaging. Not only do virtually all cardiology fellows get Level 2 training in echocardiography and many in nuclear cardiology but now, an increasing number of fellows are training in cardiac MR and cardiac CT.

July 10, 2008 - A novel blood pool magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) agent, Vasovist (gadofosveset trisodium), has been approved for marketing in South Korea, representing the 34th country in which the agent has been approved, reported the manufacturer EPIX Pharmaceuticals Inc.

July 10, 2008 - Boston Scientific Corp. this week launched its Atlantis .018 Peripheral Imaging Catheter, which reportedly brings existing 40 MHz coronary standard ultrasound imaging resolution to peripheral interventions.

The company said the product is available for immediately release in the U.S.

July 10, 2008 - The Senate overcame partisan gridlock on July 9, 2008, and passed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331) to repeal the 10.6 percent physician payment cut and to test the use of physician-developed Appropriateness Criteria.

July 10, 2008 - Datascope Corp. said today it exercised its option to acquire the Peripheral Vascular Stent business of the Sorin Group of Milan.

July 10, 2008 - The XIV Congress of the Latin American Society of Interventional Cardiology (SOLACI) and the annual scientific meeting of the Mexican Society of Interventional Cardiology (SOCIME) will convene Aug. 6-8 at the Moon Palace Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

There will be live cases from Columbia in New York City Thursday, Aug. 7. The panelists include doctors Martin B. Leon, Gregg W. Stone, Alexandre Abizaid, Eberhard Grube, Roxana Mehran and Jeffrey Moses. There will also be presentations on new techniques in percutaneous coronary interventions.

July 9, 2008 – The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) today applauded the U.S. Congress for passing Medicare legislation that preserves seniors access to life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic imaging technologies.

MITA said the accreditation and appropriateness criteria provisions in the legislation are important steps toward ensuring proper utilization of medical imaging services.

July 9, 2008 - Summit Doppler Systems this week introduced a significant upgrade to the Vista AVS, a full-featured arterial physiologic exam system, which allows clinicians to perform the ankle brachial index (ABI) exam for the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the seated position.

July 9, 2008 - New research shows catheter cryoablation is comparably effective to radiofrequency catheter ablation for the treatment of atrial flutter (AFL) and may have some safety advantages over the use of radiofrequency.

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