Riding the cath lab range used to mean seeing only the coronaries, but many cath labs across the U.S. are moving (or have already moved) into peripheral vascular work.
One example is our spotlight this month, Community Medical Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, although this lab is no newcomer, and has been performing peripheral work for quite some time. Manager Thomas Gaylets notes, We have been performing these procedures for 7 years, with staff being trained on-the-job with an experienced radiological technologist.
Making a plea for increased staff education on peripherals is Cath Lab Digest editorial board member and Cleveland Clinic Assistant Manager Kenneth Gorski: Like the early days of PTCA, the physicians performing carotid artery stenting (CAS) need to help educate their non-physician team members about patient assessment, anatomy, and equipment, as well as potential complications. Ken comments on our cover interview with Dr. Jay Yadav, also of The Cleveland Clinic, and one of the foremost experts in carotid artery stenting. Also, against the backdrop of the excitement over CAS, Dr. David Deaton of Georgetown University Hospital makes the surgical case for carotid endarterectomy.
I™m also pleased to share that we are launching a new publication for the wide range of physicians and professionals involved in peripheral procedures, called Vascular Disease Management. VDM will launch in October 2004, and issues will discuss topics such as carotid stenting, lower limb salvage, future treatments of fibrous uterine tumors, embolic protection, MRI imaging techniques and managing diabetic patients. We™re very excited about VDM, a new sister to Cath Lab Digest, EP Lab Digest and the Journal of Invasive Cardiology. If you are performing excellent peripheral work, please contact us and consider writing for our new publication. You can reach the VDM staff at vasculareditor@hotmail.com.

Enjoy!

Rebecca Kapur
Managing Editor
CathLabDigest@aol.com