Cath Lab Digest

The Outback® Re-Entry Catheter (LuMend, Inc., Redwood City, CA) (Figures 2A–B) is a single lumen catheter designed to facilitate access and positioning of a guide wire within the peripheral vasculature, from a remote vascular entry site. A control knob, a rotating hemostasis valve (RHV), a catheter shaft with a distal nosecone, and a distal guide tip comprise the major element of the device. The distal curved tip cannula consists of a controllable nitinol sharp needle, activated via the proximal end of the catheter and used to puncture the true lumen of a vessel, under controlled fluorosc

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has emerged as a routine and viable alternative in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Its efficacy has been confirmed in many studies, and its role in the treatment of atherosclerotic aneurysms is becoming defined as long-term follow-up data is analyzed. Major complications such as migration, thrombosis, kinking of the graft, endoleaks and continued expansion with eventual rupture have been described and well studied. EVAR has also been shown to induce a systemic inflammatory response in patients leading to local perianeurysmal inflammation a

Introduction
Paradoxical embolism (through a right-to-left shunt) as a mechanism of stroke has been described as early as 1877.^1-4 Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is present in up to 50% of patients with cryptogenic stroke.^5-6 Currently, secondary prevention of recurrent paradoxical embolism in patients with PFO consists of medical treatment with antiplatelet and anticoagulation agents (aspirin, clopidogrel, coumadin), or PFO closure (surgical or percutaneous closure).⁷ The majority of the PFO closures are now performed percutaneously due to relative ease

Ever since Dr. Gruentzig performed the first coronary balloon angioplasty in 1977, we have, as interventional specialists, begun to see our own types of complications. First, the phenomenon of intimal hyperplasia with restenosis was born after the introduction of balloon angioplasty. When Parodi first described a technique to less invasively exclude abdominal aortic aneurysms, we also developed our own unique type of endovascular complications. Potential endoluminal graft complications include dissection or perforation, device malfunction or failure, a thromboembolic event, prosthetic occlusio

Dr. Cates, you’ve been involved in helping the cardiology and vascular surgery societies develop credentialing guidelines for carotid artery stenting (CAS). How did these medical societies come together?

The societies felt it was important to take a role in helping define credentialing guidelines for CAS. Because this new procedure involves different anatomy and complications and because multiple specialists will be performing the procedure, a consistent set of guidelines will help to ensure the best patient care. So, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (S