Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics: An Australian Cost-Benefit Study.

Objective: Chest pain is a large health care burden in Australia and around the world. Its management requires specialist assessment and diagnostic tests, which can be costly and often lead to unnecessary hospital admissions. There is a growing unmet clinical need to improve the efficiency and management of chest pain.

Rapid Access Cardiology (RAC) Services Within a Large Tertiary Referral Centre-First Year in Review.

Background: Rapid Access Cardiology (RAC) services are hospital co-located cardiologist-led outpatient clinics providing prompt assessment and management of chest pain. This service model is part of chest pain management in the United Kingdom. However, little data exists on RAC services in Australia.

Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion using different technologies in the United Kingdom: A multicenter registry.

Objectives: This study aimed at assessing the feasibility and long-term efficacy of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in a "real world" setting.

Background: Although LAAO has recently emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation for the prevention of thromboembolic stroke, "real world" data about the procedure with different devices are lacking.

Methods: Eight centers in the United Kingdom contributed to a retrospective registry for LAAO procedures undertaken between July 2009 and November 2014.

Patent foramen ovale closure following cryptogenic stroke or transient ischaemic attack: Long-term follow-up of 301 cases.

Patent foramen ovale has been identified as a conduit for paradoxical embolism resulting in cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). We aimed to establish rates of death, recurrent stroke or TIA among patients undergoing PFO closure for stroke or TIA at our unit. A retrospective analysis of all PFO closure patients was performed between May 2004 and January 2013.

Transradial Secondary Arterial Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Experience and Limitations.

Objectives: The transradial approach limits vascular complications in coronary interventions. The same may be true for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We present our experience using secondary transradial arterial access.

Radiation dose during percutaneous treatment of structural heart disease.

Background: With the increased application of structural heart intervention techniques, there is concern over increasing radiation dose, especially during lengthy procedures.

Methods: We compared data from 91 consecutive single-vessel percutaneous coronary interventions, 69 patent foramen ovale closures, 25 atrial septal defect closures, 49 percutaneous transluminal mitral valvuloplasties, 57 balloon aortic valvuloplasties, 53 trans-catheter aortic valve implantations (TAVI), 21 left atrial appendage occlusions and 7 MitraClip procedures.

Results: The following fluoroscopy times and dose-area product (median, interquartile range) were recorded: patent foramen ovale closure (7.

Percutaneous closure of postinfarction ventricular septal defect: in-hospital outcomes and long-term follow-up of UK experience.

Background: Postinfarction ventricular septal defect carries a grim prognosis. Surgical repair offers reasonable outcomes in patients who survive a healing phase. Percutaneous device implantation represents a potentially attractive early alternative.