TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for March 2018

This month’s top 10 was dominated by news from the American College of Cardiology 2018 Scientific Session—ODYSSEY, NOTION 5 years out, and a NOAC comparison—as well as highlights from CRT 2018. Rounding out the list were two feature stories: one exploring the fallout from protocol changes to the ISCHEMIA trial, the other an in-depth look at what comes next for cath lab pioneers.

Calling It Quits: Cath Lab Pioneers Grapple With When to Go and What Comes Next

Many prominent interventional cardiologists have been active since the birth of their specialty and see pros and cons to moving on.

Early Results for Dock-Plus-Valve Approach Promising in Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement

Sapien 3, in a skirt, is raising hopes—and eyebrows. Just how the repair vs replacement debate shakes out in the mitral space remains a guessing game.

Apixaban Has Edge Over Other NOACs in Large, Real-World Analysis

The findings jibe with prior observational studies, but head-to-head trials—however unlikely—would provide the best answers, experts say.

NOTION: 5-Year Outcomes for TAVR Match SAVR in Low-Risk Patients

Nearly identical 5-year results in the trial include the lowest mortality rates yet seen at this time point, something one observer called “not surprising.”

ODYSSEY Delivers a Win for Alirocumab in ACS, With a Signal of Survival Benefit

All eyes were on the 15% relative reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality with the PCSK9 inhibitor, a benefit not seen with evolocumab in FOURIER.

ISCHEMIA Fracas: Amid Charges of Moving the Goalposts, Investigators Come Out Swinging

Some say the decision to expand the “hard” dual endpoint to include softer events has yanked the teeth out of this contentious, costly, long-awaited trial.

Time to Shine: ‘Historic’ All-Female Team Takes Over Live Case at CRT 2018

Audience members as well as cardiologists in the all-female panel discussion for yesterday’s event agreed it felt special, even if it shouldn’t.

Proposed Medicare Cuts May Hit TAVR Especially Hard

TAVR reimbursement relies heavily on federal funds, so plans to cut roughly $473 billion from Medicare over a decade warrant watching, researchers say.

CABG Bests PCI for 5-Year Survival in Biggest Analysis Yet, With Options for Left Main Disease

The results reinforce the need for surgeons and cardiologists to collaborate for a disease where heart team decisions have become “ad hoc,” experts say.

Scrub Tech Radiation Exposure Needs Rethink, Particularly as Patient BMIs Climb Higher

Researchers believe their study may be one of the first to look beyond physicians and nurses to consider scrub-tech safety.