December 2011

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Volume 11 Issue 12

Editorial Staff

Clinical Editor
Bradley Knight, MD
Executive Editor
Laurie Gustafson
Managing Editor
Jodie Elrod
Production Manager
Alexa Flinn

Editorial Correspondence

Jodie Elrod, Managing Editor, EP Lab Digest
HMP Communications, 70 E. Swedesford Rd
Suite 100, Malvern PA 19355
Telephone: (800) 371-0791

Fax: (866) 488-8273
Email: jelrod@hmpglobal.com
News
FDA Approves Xarelto to Prevent Stroke in People With Common Type of Abnormal Heart RhythmThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the anti-clotting drug Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to reduce the risk of stroke in people who have abnormal heart rhyth…
AF Ablation: Inside or Out?
Dear Readers,A 68-year-old woman with hypertension and medically-refractory, highly symptomatic recurrent persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) underwent a radiofrequency catheter ablation procedure involving wide area circumferential ablation with ele…
Mechanisms and Application of Cardiac Cryoablation
In this article, the authors review the science behind cryoablation, including cellular physiology and mechanism of ablation, as well as clinical applications for cryoablation such as AF ablation and ablation of certain SVTs.The effectiveness of cryo…
All About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association
In this interview we speak with Lisa A. Levine, CAE, President of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) and Co-Chair of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition.
Trial Update: The FIX-HF-5B Study
Dr. William Abraham talks with EP Lab Digest about a new study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the OPTIMIZER® System (Impulse Dynamics N.V.). Dr. Abraham is the Principal Investigator of the FIX-HF-5B study, Professor of Internal Medicine and P…
Wasteful Medicare Spending, Abusive Medicare Policies, and a Call to Arms
December 23rd is the deadline to make recommendations directly to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding which Medicare regulations and policies should be eliminated or revised to remove administrative burden and improve the qual…
Hybrid OR: Planning for the Metamorphosis
In this article, the author discusses the development of a hybrid OR at the University of Michigan, which has three hybrid rooms and plans to add two more: one for the new children’s and women’s hospitals, and another in the Cardiovascular Center.We…
The PINNACLE-AF Outpatient Registry
In this interview, EP Lab Digest speaks with William J. Oetgen, MD, MBA, FACC, Senior Vice President for Science and Quality of the American College of Cardiology.The Division of Science and Quality oversees the National Cardiovascular Data Registry…
Spotlight Interview: Covenant HealthCare
What is the size of the EP lab facility, and what is the mix of staff credentials?Covenant HealthCare has two dedicated electrophysiology (EP) labs. One lab is completely upgraded to do Carto 3D mapping (Biosense Webster, Inc., a Johnson & Johnso…
Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium: 2012 Preview
The Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium™ is taking place January 12-14, 2012. In this interview we speak with Course Director Jeremy N. Ruskin, MD.Congratulations on the success of the Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, which is in its 17th year!…