Heart Surgery
FDA: Class I recall of Medtronic HVAD Pump Implant Kit
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 8 identified the recall by Medtronic of its HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) Pump Implant Kit as Class I, the most serious. The HVAD System is used as a bridge to cardiac transplants. The Kit was recalled because of a…
Collateral damage of COVID-19 on CV services
Editor's Note This systematic review and meta-analysis led by researchers in the UK finds that across the world, cardiovascular (CV) services were severely disrupted, and as a result cardiac disease is expected to worsen, and repercussions will be felt for years to come. This analysis spans 2 years (2020 to…
UW Medicine conducting national clinical trial on inflatable tubular stent
Editor's Note Cardiologists at the University of Washington School of Medicine (UW Medicine) in Seattle, Washington, are participating in a national clinical trial to test a device designed to control bleeding if a vessel near the heart is inadvertently perforated during a catheter-based procedure, Healthcare Purchasing News May 26 reported.…
The Joint Commission, AHA launch Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification program
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association, on April 20, announced the launch of a Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification program, which recognizes hospitals providing care to the most complex and critically ill patients. To be certified, hospitals must provide 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week on-site coverage for primary percutaneous…
Key items for cardiovascular, peripheral vascular service lines
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are ramping up cardiovascular and peripheral vascular service lines, as Medicare offers payment for a growing number of cardiac procedures and accrediting bodies offer support for this methodology. In 2021, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reported that the number of ASCs billing Medicare for cardiology procedures…
A systemic approach to cardiac service line safety
Among Surgical Care Affiliates’ (SCA) 260-plus facilities in the US, at least 10% have added cardiovascular/peripheral vascular service capabilities. SCA experts anticipate more growth in this area. However, any successful launch starts with an organizational focus on patient safety, says Ezra Erb, vice president for clinical quality at SCA, which…
Report: Cardiology is fastest growing ASC specialty
Editor's Note According to the 2022 Key ASC Benchmarks and Industry Figures report published by Avanza Healthcare Strategies, an ASC consulting firm, cardiology is the fastest growing ASC specialty, Becker’s ASC Review March 10 reports. The Avanza report was released on March 8 and is a “compilation of recently [as…
2-year outcomes of TAVR vs surgical AVR in low-risk patients
Editor's Note In this study, researchers report the 2-year outcomes for patients enrolled in the Evolut Low Risk Trial (Medtronic Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low Risk Patients), which show that transcather aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a supra-annular, self-expanding valve is noninferior to surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR).…
10-year outcomes of off-pump vs on-pump CABG in Department of Veterans Affairs patients
Editor's Note This multi-center, randomized, clinical trial that compares on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with off-pump CABG finds no advantage for off-pump CABG. A total of 2,203 veterans were randomly assigned to off-pump (1,104) or on-pump (1,099) CABG procedures at 18 VA medical centers, and the veterans were then…
The Joint Commission, AHA announce new advanced certification program for heart attack patient care
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on February 13, announced that it has partnered with the American Heart Association (AHA) to develop a new advanced disease-specific care certification program for heart attack patient care. The Comprehensive Heart Attack Center (CHAC) Certification Program (CHAC), which is based on AHA clinical practice guidelines…
Free Daily News
- Study: ERAS protocol reduces opioid use after cardiac surgery
- Study: Prehabilitation reduces surgical complications, speeds recovery
- Commentary: Studies show how surgeon decisions follow the money
- Proposed HIPAA updates would improve cybersecurity, increase costs for healthcare providers
- Study: EMR data can enhance hand hygiene compliance, infection prevention
- Study: Machine learning model improves perioperative pain assessment
- Call for improved suicide risk screening in ASCs aims to strengthen safety protocols
- Study: Perioperative pregabalin reduces risk of kidney decline compared to gabapentin
- Medical school diversity declines after Supreme Court ruling
- Surgeons risk losing ground as transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions rise