Courtesy of Dr. Ariel Durán. I am pleased to witness the increased amount of scientific papers in high impact journals addressing topics related to radiation protection or the harmful effects of radiation on our patients and primary or secondary operators. Similarly, it is my pleasure to see that SOLACI has acknowledged this growing concern by<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2018/01/09/on-radiation-protection-editorial-comment-by-dr-ariel-duran/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Courtesy of Dr. Carlos Fava. Severe left main coronary artery (LMCA) lesions have a bad prognosis in coronary disease. In that scenario, current guidelines recommend surgery as the treatment of choice. However, due to the current development of second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) and greater operator expertise, left main coronary artery angioplasty appears as a valid alternative<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2018/01/05/coronary-angioplasty-is-a-valid-alternative-for-left-main-coronary-artery-disease/" title="Read more" >...</a>
In the subgroup of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who fail thrombolysis, transradial access reduces both bleeding and mortality, according to the results of this new study recently published in JACC Cardiovascular Interventions. Overall, transradial access following failed thrombolysis was associated with a 70% reduction in vascular complications, a 28% reduction in combined in-hospital<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/12/07/arterial-access-after-thrombolysis/" title="Read more" >...</a>
After several years of abscense in the international agenda, the 15th Congress of the Venezuelan Society of Interventional Cardiology (SOVECI) took place on November 25th, 2017. This event was carried out at the auditorium of Caracas Military Hospital, “Dr. Carlos Arvelo.” SOLACI extends its heartfelt congratulations to SOVECI for the great effort placed on bringing<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/12/05/soveci-congress-is-back/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Despite technological developments, all people working at a cath lab are inevitably exposed to radiation and its effects. The radiation dose received by the operator is highly variable depending on procedure type, experience level, equipment used, patient characteristics, etc. Exposure to this scatter radiation may have deterministic effects, such as the onset of cataracts or<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/11/28/protective-shield-radpad-reduces-the-radiation-dose-received-by-operators-in-the-cath-lab/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Cardiac Artery Bypass Graft Surgery has been shown more effective than percutaneous coronary intervention (basically because it renders lower revascularization rate) in patients with severe left main bifurcation lesions receiving 1st generation drug eluting stents. This is why the 2014 American guidelines recommend CABG for most patients. But the EXCEL and the NOBLE trials brought back hope to<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/11/22/dkcrush-v-left-main-not-just-another-bifurcation/" title="Read more" >...</a>
From November 9th to November 11th, Punta del Este received the best cardiologists in Latin America. These 3 days of intense scientific activity included the SOLACI-SUC Joint Symposium, which was composed of a structural module (with presentations on TAVI, Mitraclip, paravalvular leaks, and clinical cases) and a coronary module (with activities centered on coronary bifurcation lesions,<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/11/15/solaci-suc-joint-session-at-the-cardiology-congress-in-uruguay/" title="Read more" >...</a>
The recent publication of several reports on risk of cataract, left sided brain tumors, subclinical atherosclerosis and chromosome damage among interventional cardiologists has raised increasing concerns about radiation exposure in the cath lab. Recognizing these risks has created a demand of these new forms of protection. Unfortunately, these have mainly been focused on the main operator,<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/11/15/study-confirms-lead-shields-protect-cath-lab-staff-from-radiation-exposure/" title="Read more" >...</a>
In recent years, we have seen (both as witnesses and actors) an exponential increase in the number of fluoroscopically-guided cardiovascular interventions carried out by interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and vascular surgeons. Not long ago, most pathologies treated with these procedures were the exclusive domain of open surgery. Now, a large number of patients can be treated<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/11/08/important-study-detects-radiation-induced-dna-damage-in-operators-after-an-endovascular-procedure/" title="Read more" >...</a>
The ADVANCE study was designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with self-expanding prosthesis CoreValve in “real world” patients with symptomatic, severe aortic stenosis at high surgical risk. Patients were enrolled from 44 experimental centers in 12 countries; treatment approach and choice of anaesthesia were determined by the local Heart Team.<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/10/25/new-study-confirms-tavr-durability-at-5-years/" title="Read more" >...</a>