Interventional cardiologist

BACKGROUND: Aortic regurgitation (AR) associated with detachment of the aortic valve commissure is extremely rare. We present a case of progressively worsening severe chronic AR due to detachment of the aortic valve commissure during hospitalization that was confirmed with multimodality imaging. CASE SUMMARY: A 50-year-old male with Marfan syndrome visited our hospital to receive treatment for cholelithiasis. Pre-operative examination revealed severe AR and aortic root aneurysm...

BACKGROUND: In the field of academic cardiology, the assessment of an author's scholarly impact and professional progression heavily relies on publications and citations. This study investigates whether specific cardiology expertise correlates with accelerated professional growth. METHODS: Using data from the 2023 European Society of Cardiology congress, 948 faculty attendees with an h-index of 30 or higher were analyzed. Expertises were categorized into six groups, and their association with publications and citations peaks was explored...

BACKGROUND: Cancer is an important condition associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). The objectives of the BLITZ-AF Cancer study were to collect real-life information on the clinical profile and use of antithrombotic drugs in patients with AF and cancer to improve clinical management, as well as the evaluation of the association between different antithrombotic treatments (or their absence) and the main clinical events. METHODS: European multinational, multicenter, prospective, non-interventional study conducted in patients with AF (electrocardiographically confirmed) and cancer occurring within 3 years...

AIMS: The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) Scientific Initiatives Committee performed a global survey on radiation exposure in interventional echocardiography. The survey aimed to collect data on local practices for radioprotection in interventional echocardiography and to assess the awareness of echocardiography operators about radiation-related risks. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 258 interventional echocardiographers from 52 different countries (48% European) responded to the survey...

A coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) denotes a localized dilation of the coronary artery, while a coronary artery fistula signifies an aberrant connection between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or adjacent vessel. Here, we present a case study of a 68-year-old female with a previously diagnosed right coronary artery-to-right atrial fistula concomitant with multiple right coronary artery aneurysms. Initially asymptomatic, the patient subsequently manifested atrial fibrillation. Management involved augmenting the patient's home regimen with metoprolol tartrate, followed by successful cardioversion and restoration of sinus rhythm...

BACKGROUND: Reduced exercise capacity is a prognostic indicator of adverse outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in this population. This study aimed to clarify the efficacy of comprehensive CR in patients with AMI and reduced exercise capacity.Methods and Results: This cohort study included 610 patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention...

INTRODUCTION: Tafamidis is the first drug approved by the European Commission for the treatment of wild-type or hereditary transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) in adults to reduce cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalization. Real-world treatment patterns of tafamidis 61 mg in Germany are not well studied in patients with ATTR-CM. METHODS: This was a non-interventional, retrospective, observational cohort study of adult patients in Germany based on the IQVIA pharmacy claims database (IQVIA™ LRx)...

Background: The management of cardiogenic shock (CS) after ACS has evolved over time, and the development of a multidisciplinary team-based approach has been shown to improve outcomes, although mortality remains high. Methods: All consecutive patients with ACS-CS admitted at our CICU from March 2012 to July 2021 were included in this single-center retrospective study. In 2019, we established a "shock team" consisting of a cardiac intensivist, an interventional cardiologist, an anesthetist, and a cardiac surgeon...

PURPOSE: Several studies report occupational orthopedic problems among interventional cardiologists. These health problems are usually multifactorial. However, the personal protective equipment used should play a major role. An online survey was conducted to determine the frequency of such health problems among interventional radiologists and to correlate them with the use of personal radiation protective clothing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An anonymous online survey that comprised of 17 questions was sent via e-mail to 1427 members of the German Society for Interventional Radiology (DeGIR) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly utilized in interventional cardiology (IC) and holds the potential to revolutionize the field. METHODS: We conducted a global, web-based, anonymous survey of IC fellows and attendings to assess the knowledge and perceptions of interventional cardiologists regarding AI use in IC. RESULTS: A total of 521 interventional cardiologists participated in the survey. The median age range of participants was 36 to 45 years, most (51...

There is a broad spectrum of mitral valve diseases ranging from young patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis up to older patients with secondary mitral valve regurgitation and numerous comorbidities. A profound understanding of the etiology, anatomical characteristics of mitral valve diseases and current treatment options is necessary to be able to prepare a patient-centered treatment approach. The interdisciplinary collaboration of referring physicians, interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, heart failure and imaging specialists as well as anesthesiologists is a cornerstone of optimal patient treatment...

Aging is the gradual decline in physical and physiological functioning leading to increased susceptibility to stressors and chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease. With an aging global population, in which 1 in 6 individuals will be older than 60 years by 2030, interventional cardiologists are increasingly involved in providing complex care for older individuals. Although procedural aspects remain their main clinical focus, interventionalists frequently encounter age-associated risks that influence eligibility for invasive care, decision making during the intervention, procedural adverse events, and long-term management decisions...

Heart failure (HF) is associated with disabling symptoms, poor quality of life, and a poor prognosis with substantial excess mortality in the years following diagnosis. Overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system is a key feature of the pathophysiology of HF and is an important driver of the process of adverse remodelling of the left ventricular wall that contributes to cardiac failure. Drugs which suppress the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, including β-blockers, are foundation therapies for the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and despite a lack of specific outcomes trials, are also widely used by cardiologist in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)...

BACKGROUND: Understanding complex cardiac anatomy is essential for percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) closure. Conventional multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) are now supported by advanced 3D printing and virtual reality (VR) techniques for three-dimensional visualization of volumetric data sets. This study aimed to investigate their added value for LAA closure procedures. METHODS: Ten patients scheduled for interventional LAA closure were evaluated with MSCT and TEE...

Over the past 5 years, early diagnosis of and new treatments for cardiac amyloidosis (CA) have emerged that hold promise for early intervention. These include non-invasive diagnostic tests and disease modifying therapies. Recently, CA has been one of the first types of cardiomyopathy to be treated with gene editing techniques. Although these therapies are not yet widely available to patients in Australia and New Zealand, this may change in the near future. Given the rapid pace with which this field is evolving, it is important to view these advances within the Australian and New Zealand context...

The delayed titration of guideline-directed drug therapy (GDMT) is a complex event influenced by multiple factors that often result in poor prognosis for patients with heart failure (HF). Individualized adjustments in GDMT titration may be necessary based on patient characteristics, and every clinician is responsible for promptly initiating GDMT and titrating it appropriately within the patient's tolerance range. This review examines the current challenges in GDMT implementation and scrutinizes titration considerations within distinct subsets of HF patients, with the overarching goal of enhancing the adoption and effectiveness of GDMT...

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) leading to right heart failure is prevalent and associated with increased mortality. The significant under-recognition of the disease resulted from insufficient medical therapies and the high associated risk of surgical therapy. Over the last decade there has been a rapid development of interventional treatment options so that the disease has increasingly become the focus of attention of specialists in internal medicine and interventional cardiologists. The etiology of TR is differentiated into primary TR, secondary atrial TR, secondary ventricular TR and TR associated with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED)...

INTRODUCTION: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valvular heart disorder, with a morbidity rate of 2.5%. While echocardiography is commonly used in assessing MR, it has many limitations, especially for large-scale MR screening. Cardiac auscultation with electronic stethoscope and artificial intelligence (AI) can be a fast and economical modality for assessing MR severity. Our objectives are (1) to establish a deep neural network (DNN)-based cardiac auscultation method for assessing the severity of MR; and (2) to quantitatively measure the performance of the developed AI-based MR assessment method by virtual clinical trial...

More than 1 million transcatheter-based cardiovascular procedures across the spectrum of interventional cardiology are performed annually in the United States. With the expanded indications for and increased complexities associated with these procedures, interventional cardiologists are expected to possess the requisite expertise to complete these interventions safely and effectively. While the art of vascular access and closure remains a prerequisite and critical skillset in contemporary practice, there remain significant variations in the techniques employed, resulting in the bleeding and vascular complications encountered in clinical practice...

We report a rare case of radial arteriovenous fistula in a middle-aged person after a successful transradial percutaneous coronary intervention. Early release of manual radial compression was the culprit behind the development of radial arteriovenous fistula. Early surgical repair of the radial arteriovenous fistula resulted in the complete resolution of distal forearm symptoms in the abovementioned patient. It is advised for young interventional cardiologists to apply a compressive bandage over the radial artery for a minimum period of one hour to get rid of this extremely rare complication...