Our top 10 stories of July 2021, including: A milestone for coronary balloon angioplasty; highlights from TVT 2021 (The Structural Heart Summit, 20–22 July, Miami Beach, USA & virtual); urgent action needed to combat physician burnout, and; cath lab practices under review.

1. DCB pioneer welcomes deliverability after first case with Medtronic’s brand new Prevail coronary DCB

The first case using the Prevail (Medtronic) paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter has been heralded by Bruno Scheller (University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany), a pioneer of drug-coated balloon (DCB) technology, as an important milestone for the use of balloon catheters for coronary angioplasty.

2. More experienced TAVI centres “less likely to use heart team approach”

Assessment of patients by both interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons prior to transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI)—known as the heart team approach—appears to be declining, particularly in centres with more mature TAVI programmes.

3. Pacemaker implantation after SAVR points to increased mortality and heart failure hospitalisation

Patients undergoing permanent pacemaker implantation after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are at increased risk of all-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalisation, according to the findings of a Swedish observational study published in JAMA Network Open.

4. First patient treated with VeriSight Pro 3D intracardiac echocardiography catheter

Royal Philips has announced the first procedure using its real-time 3D intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter. The left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedure was carried out by Mohamad Adnan Alkhouli (Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, USA).

5. TVT 2021: Outcomes in low-risk bicuspid and tricuspid TAVI patients similar at one year

Patients with bicuspid aortic stenosis may benefit as much from transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as those with tricuspid aortic stenosis, according to the findings of two studies presented at TVT 2021 (The Structural Heart Summit, 20–22 July, Miami Beach, USA & virtual).

6. Cardiovascular societies demand action to combat physician burnout

Global action is needed to improve clinician wellbeing, according to four leading cardiovascular health organisations, who have issued a joint paper calling for an increased recognition of the impact of clinician burnout, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

7. PCI procedures drop by 10% in USA since 2010, research suggests

The USA saw a 10% decline in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures between 2010 and 2017, research published in JAMA Cardiology indicates.

8. Common cath lab practices under the microscope in AHA review

The American Heart Association (AHA) has published a scientific statement challenging “traditionally held” cath lab practices, and instead offering evidence-based recommendations where these could be reconsidered.

9. TVT 2021: Aborted TEER leads to poorer outcomes in mitral valve surgery

Among patients undergoing mitral valve surgery after failed transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER), those whose initial TEER procedure was aborted faced poorer outcomes compared to patients who underwent successful TEER but required surgery for acute or delayed failures.

10. Xeltis initiates synthetic restorative pulmonary heart valve pivotal trial

Xeltis has announced that it has started a pivotal trial for a synthetic restorative pulmonary valve, which features porous micro-structure enabling the patient’s own tissue to populate it and naturally form a new heart valve.