Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano is the only site in Dallas-Fort Worth currently enrolling participants in the SOLVE CRT trial. This innovative trial is evaluating a new cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) system that delivers pacing stimulation from inside the left ventricle – possibly eliminating the need for traditional left ventricular lead placement.
To reduce the risk of stroke, the WATCHMAN™ left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) device has provided an additional option for some patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who are not good candidates for long-term anticoagulation therapy. Now, studies are underway to investigate the effectiveness of this device in a wider patient pool.
In November 2017, a study into the effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) caught international attention for raising questions about the benefits of angioplasty and stenting. The study, Objective Randomised Blinded Investigation With Optimal Medical Therapy of Angioplasty in Stable Angina (ORBITA), concluded there was no benefit for patients with stable angina who underwent PCI.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia treated in clinical practice. Lifetime risk of AF is estimated to be 24% in elderly patients.1–3 Stroke is the most devastating complication of AF, with AF patients experiencing a fivefold higher risk of stroke and a twofold increased risk of all-cause mortality.4 Taking all patients into consideration, the annual stroke risk is 5%, but can be as high as 15% depending on many common clinical factors.5
