November 2019

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Volume 27 Issue 11

Editorial Staff

Clinical Editor
Morton Kern, MD
Executive Editor
Laurie Gustafson
Managing Editor
Rebecca Kapur
Production Manager
Elizabeth Vasil

Editorial Correspondence

Rebecca Kapur, Managing Editor, Cath Lab Digest
HMP Communications, 70 E. Swedesford Rd
Suite 100, Malvern PA 19355
Telephone: (440) 717-0418

Fax: (866) 896-8762
Email: rkapur@hmpglobal.com
Treating From Below: A Physician Perspective on Pedal Access and the Lutonix® 018 DCB
We have a “limb salvage team” at the hospital that includes a vascular surgeon, a podiatrist, a wound care specialist, and a hospitalist, who manages all the comorbidities of the patient.
Growing Structural Heart Procedures at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
With visibly enhanced targets via image fusion, we have a higher success rate in our procedures as well as shorter procedural times.
Successful PCI of a Bifurcation Lesion Using “Reverse Wire” Technique With a Dual-Lumen Microcatheter
This procedure was first developed by Kavasaki et al in 20083, but the technique has been improved over the following years with the addition of a dual-lumen microcatheter to more easily engage the narrow, angulated side branch.
Chest Pain Center Accreditation
Accreditation is one of those rare things where all involved parties benefit: patients, hospitals, EMS, and the general public.
Spotlight: Billings Clinic Heart and Vascular
Our new Heart & Vascular program started in the fall of 2017, and between our first and second years, we experienced a 55% increase in our cath lab volumes.
Shedding Light on Defining Perioperative Stent Thrombosis: A Case for Optical Coherence Tomography as a Risk-Refining Tool
Our first case highlights the limitations of commonly utilized risk predictors for perioperative stent thrombosis, while our second case features the potential utility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a risk-sharpening tool to predict safe…
Accepting the Risk of Treatment With Drug-Coated Balloons
Industry has been appropriately aggressive in producing paclitaxel-coated devices, which clearly have a benefit in preventing restenosis and the requirement for reintervention. Thus, paclitaxel deserves the continued attention it is getting.
Apple Core: A Novel Technique for Accessing Calcified and Fibrotic Common Femoral Arteries
We found this technique useful for gaining access in fibrotic and calcified arteries. It does not require any extra equipment aside from the needle already on the table.
Electronic Health Records: Problems and Fixes
In regards to compliance, EHRs have missed the mark in a few major ways. Fortunately, minor tweaks can correct most of these deficiencies and provide regulatory insulation.
Taking the Team Business Seriously
No matter how skilled someone is, the wrong character and the wrong fit will eventually lead to issues.