Cardiophile MD

Coronary angiography gives a visual impression about the severity of the stenosis. But it need not imply the actual functional significance of the stenosis in terms of flow physiology. It is often difficult to decide which are the flow limiting lesions when there are multiple stenoses in same or different territories. It is here that [...]

A recent study by Brott GT et al for the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial (CREST) Investigators published in N Engl J Med 2010; 363:11-23 compared carotid stenting with endarterectomy. The trial was unique in that it involved both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis and there was strict credentialing for both surgeons and [...]

Pharmacoinvasive therapy is the routine early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after thrombolytic therapy. This approach is especially useful when there is a delay in arranging primary PCI due to logistic reasons. The other strategies for combining PCI with thrombolytic therapy are the rescue PCI (ischemia driven PCI) and facilitated PCI. Assent 4 and Finesse trials [...]

Generally closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) is done in children and young adults. Benefits of device closure of ASD in older patients are not well documented. A recent study involving 23 patients with ASD and aged 50 – 91 years, having ASD size between 16 to 36 mm reported favorable cardiac remodeling and improvement [...]

Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an evolving modality of treatment. Conventional repair of AAA was surgical. A recent study published in N Engl J Med 2010; 362:1863-1871 compared endovascular repair with open surgical repair. This randomized study involved over 1200 patients from 1999 to 2004 in 37 hospitals in the United Kingdom. They [...]