The advancement of minimally invasive procedures and new treatments continues at a rapid pace in cardiology.
Here are four "firsts" for cardiology that Becker's has covered since Sept. 22, starting with the most recent:
1. Cardiologists at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine in Columbus in October became the first in the nation to use a new system to treat hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure. The pulmonary neuromodulation system involves a stimulation console and minimally invasive catheter inserted via a vein in the neck and through the heart.
2. In October, an 81-year-old man with chronic myocardial ischemia became the first patient in the nation to receive an investigative cell therapy for heart disease at Madison, Wis.-based UW Health.
3. Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center in July became the first in the state to treat a heart attack patient with a new device that makes enlarged, weak hearts smaller.
4. Physicians at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital's heart institute successfully completed the country's first mitral valve replacement using a new minimally invasive system, the health system said Sept. 30.