Fractional Flow Reserve Makes Inroads In Interventional Cardiology
Executive Summary
Fractional flow reserve (FFR), a measurement of the severity of a coronary artery obstruction, has not yet reached mainstream use in the US, but that could soon change as interventional cardiologists face increased scrutiny about the “appropriateness” of their clinical treatment decisions. Part of that scrutiny will be driven by recent overstenting scandals, but cost-control measures are playing just much of a role in this shift. At the same time, ongoing advancements in FFR technology are helping to overcome barriers to use and could convince more physicians and hospitals to jump on the FFR bandwagon.
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Medical Device Market & Industry Briefs, September 2012
Brief summaries of recent medtech market and industry developments. This month we cover results of St. Jude’s FAME II fractional flow reserve trial, a breakthrough technology for treating vascular occlusions, and analysis from START-UP magazine’s second annual Life Science Venture Capital Survey.