Introduction Over the past few decades, major technological improvements in Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (CCL) equipment have enabled acquisition of images with better quality at a potentially lower radiation dose. Concurrently,…

Introduction Iodinated contrast media (CM) are widely used in interventional cardiology. Efficacy is predicated on the capacity to opacify intravascular structures; however, when selecting a CM, other important properties should…

The major aims of pharmacotherapy during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and invasive cardiac procedures are to avoid the adverse consequences related to iatrogenic plaque rupture during balloon angioplasty and stent…

Introduction Quality of care has been a major focus of medical care since the Institute of Medicine focused attention on the unacceptable degree of variability in care and concern about…

The Innovator of Angioplasty There are few who are acknowledged as true pioneers in medicine, but Andreas Grüntzig was surely one ( Figure 1-1 ). He quite simply not only…

Philippe Généreux has received speaker fees from Abbott Vascular and is a consultant for Cardiovascular System, Inc. Introduction Left main (LM) coronary artery disease, defined by a visually estimated diameter…

Introduction Despite remarkable advances in the procedural and clinical outcomes of percutaneous revascularization, chronically occluded coronary arteries represent persistent technical challenges and unresolved clinical dilemmas in interventional cardiology. Although a…