TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular News and Features for 2016
All year long, stories on bioresorbable scaffolds—both good news and bad—dominated our most-read lists, but so too did updates, approvals, and recalls from the valvular heart disease space. Cath lab hazards, approval of the Amplatzer PFO occluder, the EXCEL and NOBLE left main PCI trials, real-world data on non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, and new cholesterol guidelines helped round out our top 10 list for the year 2016.
‘Worrisome’ 3-Year Data From ABSORB II Raise Concerns About First-Generation Bioresorbable Stent
In the most talked about data from TCT 2016, investigators showed a two-fold higher risk of device-oriented clinical events with the “disappearing” scaffold as compared with Xience and no advantage in terms of vasomotor tone or late lumen loss.
Real-World Study Largely Confirms Effects of Apixaban, Rivaroxaban for A-fib
An analysis of claims data, published in April, showed that both rivaroxaban and apixaban carry lower risks of intracranial hemorrhage versus warfarin when used in everyday practice for patients with nonvalvular A-fib.
The palpable air of sober second thoughts in several dedicated sessions at CRT 2016 appeared to stem from the sinking hopes that some of the hard-earned lessons in percutaneous aortic valve approaches would translate into swifter progress in the mitral space.
EXCEL and NOBLE: Opposing Results Pose Quandary for PCI/CABG Choice in Left Main Disease
The two studies presented at TCT 2016 had enough data, with conflicting results, to make both cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists happy—and confused.
Global Recall for Certain Lotus Valve Systems Following Reports of Death, Catastrophic Vessel Trauma
In August, Boston Scientific issued a voluntary recall for several lots of the Lotus Valve System due to breaks in the release mechanism of the delivery system. These breaks have resulted in three deaths from catastrophic vessel trauma, the company confirmed.
FDA Panel Overwhelmingly Supports Absorb Bioresorbable Stent
In the end, nine out of 10 panel members of the FDA’s Circulatory System Devices Panel felt the benefits of the Absorb BVS stent outweighed the risks, but the day-long meeting was not without some discord.
Majority of FDA Advisors Give Green Light to Amplatzer PFO Closure Device for Stroke
The mixed vote—nine versus seven on the question of efficacy—came after two decades of controversy, failed trials, and abandoned devices for a strategy that all but the most enthusiastic operators had stepped away from.
SAPIEN 3 Superior to Surgery Among Intermediate-Risk Patients in Observational Trial
In data presented at the ACC 2016 Scientific Sessions, the latest iteration of the FDA-approved balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve proved itself superior to surgery among intermediate-risk patients in a matched-registry analysis.
Tumors, Bad Backs, and Cataracts: Interventional Physicians Face a Lifetime of Risk
According to one expert, many physicians might not want to think about the problems associated with radiation and other aspects of the job, but the hazards of the catheterization laboratory can no longer be ignored.
ACC Updates LDL-Cholesterol Lowering Recommendations, Making Room for Ezetimibe and PCSK9 Inhibitors
An update to recommendations in April, characterized as a “decision pathway,” specifically addresses the use of nonstatin therapies in patients unable to achieve sufficient LDL-cholesterol lowering.
Top 5 Feature Stories
We pride ourselves on taking a deep dive into stories tackling bigger themes or thornier questions. This is just a small selection of feature stories we served up in 2016. Find all our features stories here.
Possible Turf War Brewing Over Delivery of Acute Stroke Interventions
Asymptomatic Aortic Stenosis: The Next Frontier for TAVR?
The Heart Team: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What the Future Holds
Run, Walk, Bike: Doctors Open Up About Their Own Heart-Healthy Exercise Habits
Top Blog Posts
Some of the most provocative opinions on TCTMD come from our Fellow Talk Blog, although I also spout off, occasionally, in the Editor’s Corner.
My Takeaways From ESC 2016: Eye-Rolling, Disappointments, and a Sobering Comeuppance (Editor’s Corner)
The US Presidential Election Rhetoric: Not the America I Know (Fellow Talk)
The Gift of Data: Medical Journals Back Public Data Disclosure as Prerequisite for Publishing (Editor’s Corner)
How Should Fellows Learn From Live Cases? An Interview With Simon Redwood, MD (Fellow Talk)
How to Build and Sustain a Referral Base: Lessons From Observing My Mentors (Fellow Talk)
Shelley Wood is Managing Editor of TCTMD and the Editorial Director at CRF. She did her undergraduate degree at McGill…
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