There is a lot to talk about in the invasive cardiology field today. Clinical and research issues are always ongoing a thrilling, never-ending frontier. Yet the political challenges of working in invasive cardiology are always with us as well, and by this phrase, I mean the official and perceived status of professionals specific to the field. Some professionals have expressed a desire to see the status of the RCIS credential (Registered Invasive Cardiac Specialist) grow, as your own abilities and experience in the cardiac cath lab have also grown over the years. Does the RCIS hold the power it should? If not, what needs to change? This is a topic Cath Lab Digest will explore in a future issue, and if you have an opinion related to the status of the RCIS, I would encourage you to write and share your thoughts.

In the March issue (also distributed at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Orlando, March 6-9th), CLD features some fascinating new technologies, like the IC3D system from Siemens and a catheter for measuring arterial lumen cross-sectional area called the LumenRecon. We also delve into new approaches for treating heart disease, such as experience with hybrid procedures, shared by Dr. Thomas Vassiliades of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

This isssue also introduces a new theme for CLD on an established topic in the cath lab peripheral vascular procedures. When we saw the title of Dr. Greg Mishkel™s Journal of Invasive Cardiology article, A Practical Approach to Endovascular Therapy for Infrapopliteal Disease and the Treatment of Critical Leg Ischemia, what jumped out at us was A Practical Approach, which sounded just right for those of you who are already hands-on in the field, or looking to soon become that way. March author Allen Miller also addresses the growth of PVD procedures as a way to increase revenue in the cath lab, noting, These procedures, overall, are less costly to perform and provide a reimbursement compatible to coronary interventions.

Enjoy!
Rebecca Kapur
Managing Editor
CathLabDigest@aol.com