News

March 11, 2010—St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) announced US Food and Drug Administration clearance and European CE Mark approval for the Engage and Engage TR introducers for use in diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures. The Engage family of introducers incorporates features that offer more control and minimize risks both during access and throughout the procedure, the company stated.

According to St. Jude Medical, the Engage introducers are designed to provide femoral access to the vasculature, minimize trauma to the artery, and set the stage... Read More

SYNTAX Compares CABG and Stenting in Diabetic Patients

March 9, 2010—In the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Adrian P. Banning, MD, et al published findings from a study designed to compare contemporary surgical revascularization (coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG]) versus stenting with the Taxus Express paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA) in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with left main and/or three-vessel disease (2010;55:1067­–1075). The investigators noted that although the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing, the optimal coronary revascularization strategy in diabetic patients w... Read More

Study Conducted of Long-Term Pulmonary Regurgitation After Balloon Valvuloplasty

March 9, 2010—According to David M. Harrild, MD, et al, balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty relieves pulmonary stenosis (PS) but can cause late pulmonary regurgitation (PR); however, the sequelae of isolated PR are not well understood. Therefore, the investigators conducted a study that sought to examine the prevalence and predictors of PR after balloon dilation for PS and to investigate its impact on ventricular volume and function and exercise tolerance. The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2010;55:1041–1047).

The investigators reported that patients ... Read More

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