Beyond the Heart: The Evolution of Peripheral Vascular Intervention

 Invasive Cardiologists have advanced the development of catheter-based techniques and interventional technology since the beginning of coronary angioplasty. The expertise they have developed in the coronary arteries has enriched approaches by all specialties using catheter-based intervention in vessels beyond the heart. Over the years, the Journal of Invasive Cardiology has published articles on peripheral vascular disease from cardiologists, interventional radiologists, neuroradiologists, and vascular surgeons. To provide more in-depth coverage of this important area, we are introducing a new section of the Journal that will focus on peripheral vascular disease. It is my pleasure to introduce Dr Jihad Mustapha as the new section editor. Dr Mustapha is Director of the Cardiovascular Catheterization Laboratories, Director of Endovascular Interventions, and Director of Cardiovascular Research at Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming, Michigan and Clinical Assistant Professor at Michigan State University School of Medicine. This issue of the Journal begins the series with an article from Drs Roberto Lorenzoni and Marco Roffi reviewing the use of transradial access for peripheral and cerebrovascular interventions. Other original contributions cover a variety of topics, including percutaneous device closure of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm, femoral access with a suture-mediated device during MitraClip procedures, comparison of approaches for closure of patent ductus arteriosus, closure of mitral paravalvular leaks, and impact of predilatation in treatment of bifurcation lesions. This issue also has selections from several of our special sections, including Congenital Heart Disease, Radial Access Technique, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, Brief Communication, and New Techniques. As always, there are articles published in our “Online Exclusive” section this month that cover an array of interesting topics. These selections can be found on our website (www.invasivecardiology.com), as well as past issues of the journal and videos that supplement print articles. I hope that this issue of the Journal, which coincides with the TCT 25th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, provides important and clinically relevant information that can be used by invasive cardiologists to provide effective treatment for cardiovascular patients.