Volume 17 Number 5

This issue includes a European position paper on the management of patients with patent foramen ovale; also in hypertension and stroke, a novel left atrial appendage occluder, the Omega device. In coronary interventions: a mini focus on in-stent restenosis including articles on the increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in patients treated for in-stent restenosis; using optical coherence tomography before treating in-stent restenosis to evaluate neointimal patterns and clinical outcomes as well as possible differences in outcomes between drug-eluting stents and drug-coated balloons; quantitative flow ratio for functional assessment of in-stent restenosis. Also in coronary interventions: the efficacy of RUC-4, a second-generation, subcutaneous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor for first-point-of-care treatment of STEMI; the SMART-DATE trial comparing biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents and durable polymer everolimus- or zotarolimus-eluting stents in patients with acute coronary syndromes in relation to dual antiplatelet therapy duration; from the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial, studying critical culprit lesion location as having a predictive value in determining worse outcomes; the Glider balloon, for coronary bifurcation stenting; fusing computed tomography angiography with real-time fluoroscopy to provide real-time guidance in chronic total occlusion PCI; understanding the limitations and complications of coronary microcatheters from the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database; and more...