Watchman, left atrial appendage closure, LAA occluder

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF or Afib) are high risk for stroke due to the formation of thrombus emboli in the left atrial appendage (LAA). The standard of care is use of warfarin or newer anticoagulation therapy agents, but there has been growing interest in eliminating the need for these drugs and their associated increased bleeding risks by closing off the LAA to prevent clot formation.

July 27, 2016 — Penumbra Inc. announced U.S. commercial availability of its latest thrombectomy device, the ACE68 Reperfusion Catheter, part of the fully integrated Penumbra System. The device was launched at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) 13th Annual Meeting in Boston.

Edwards Lifesciences Corp. announced that Health Canada has approved the Edwards Sapien 3 transcatheter heart valve for the treatment of patients living with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis and at high or greater risk for surgical aortic valve replacement.

July 27, 2016 — A number of states mandate public reporting of mortality outcomes following certain cardiac procedures.

July 26, 2016 — A new study has identified a genetic error that weakens the aorta, placing patients with this and similar errors at high risk of aortic aneurysms and ruptures. The findings will help diagnose, monitor and treat patients with aortic disease not caused by well-known conditions, such as Marfan syndrome and other genetic mutations known to disrupt connective tissues.

On July 20, Massoud Leesar, M.D., of University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital implanted a patient with Absorb, the world’s first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved dissolving heart stent, for the first time in Alabama.

July 25, 2016 — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it expects to launch its new Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating system to report on quality of care at hospitals shortly.

July 26, 2016 — Hematology researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a novel genetically engineered clotting factor that can control bleeding in animal models. If the factor proves effective in humans, it may provide a quick-acting countermeasure for surgery patients and others vulnerable to serious bleeding as a result of new blood-thinning drugs.

July 26, 2016 — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed the creation of new bundled payment models for patients who have a heart attack or undergo coronary artery bypass surgery. Several medical societies released statements on the proposed models, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC).  

Subscribe to
© Copyright Wainscot Media. All Rights Reserved.
Subscribe Now