A recent study examining the effect of operative approach on outcomes in patients presenting with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) demonstrated clear short- and midterm survival benefits of endovascular repair over an open approach.

A US survey released by patient advocacy group Heart-Valve-Surgery.com, with support by Medtronic, has found that nearly half (49%) of heart valve patients say return to active living is a key factor in their treatment decision.

The Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) has retracted a paper published in March 2020, which drew criticism due to its conclusions about race and the role of affirmative action within cardiology. 

Thirty-day clinical outcomes from the FORWARD PRO international study of the Evolut Pro (Medtronic) self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve, published in EuroIntervention, have confirmed the safety and efficacy of the device with an external pericardial wrap.

A meta-analysis of 24 randomised controlled trials assessing dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents shows a net clinical benefit in favour of short-term DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy, instead of aspirin, in select patients. The analysis, published in Circulation, notes that extended-term DAPT “has a role” in patients at low risk of bleeding but with a higher ischaemic risk, and adds that a “personalised approach” considering each patient’s relative and absolute risk of ischaemia and bleeding should be considered when deciding upon the optimal intensity and duration of DAPT after PCI.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for left-sided Impella heart pumps to provide left ventricular unloading and support to COVID-19 patients who are undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment and develop pulmonary edema or myocarditis. Impella is manufactured by Abiomed.

Endologix has announced the first commercial implant and the US commercial release of its recently US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Alto endograft for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).

Routine ultrasound-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is a feasible treatment for native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) dysfunction, according to a recent study by Antonio Granata (“Cannizzaro” Hospital, Catania, Italy). The findings were published online on 25 July in the Journal of Vascular Access (JVA).

Artio Medical today announced it has acquired Flow Forward Medical, a medical device company developing methods for establishing and maintaining vascular access sites.

A German study of recently-recovered COVID-19 patients examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed cardiac involvement in 78% of patients, and ongoing myocardial inflammation in 60%. Published online in JAMA: Cardiology, the study’s findings indicate the need for ongoing investigation of the long-term cardiovascular consequences of COVID-19, according to lead author Valentina Puntmann (University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany) and colleagues.

One-year outcomes of mitral valve-in-valve replacement using the Sapien 3 (Edwards Lifesciences) transcatheter heart valve have been published in JAMA: Cardiology, reporting low all-cause mortality at 30 days (5.4%) and one-year (16.7%), and a 96.8% procedural success rate.

Keystone Heart has announced completion of the first worldwide commercial case using the TriGUARD 3 cerebral embolic protection (CEP) device. Pieter Stella, assistant professor, Medical Department of Cardiology, at UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands, performed the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedure using the TriGUARD 3 device, which is designed to minimise the risk of cerebral damage during transcatheter heart procedures.