Backtable Cardiology

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and that’s true for carotid artery stenting too. In this episode of the BackTable Cardiology Podcast, Dr. Hady Lichaa welcomes Dr. Navneet Sharma to discuss practical tips for carotid artery stenting, including can’t-skip pre-procedure imaging, minimizing aortic arch manipulation, and how a healthy dose of patience helps catheter advancement more than you might thin...

Is it time to move beyond RV pacing and rethink the future of TAVR procedures with dedicated LV pacing strategies? In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host Stephanie Younes talks with Dr. Jeff Southard, interventional cardiologist at UC Davis, about the evolution of left ventricular (LV) pacing and its impact on TAVR workflow. They discuss the limitations of earlier off-the-shelf LV pacing me...

Can cardiac CTA take the guesswork out of complex CTO (chronic total occlusion) procedures? In this episode of Backtable Cardiology, host Dr. Hady Lichaa interviews interventional cardiologist and CTO operator Dr. Anbukarasi Maran about how advanced CT imaging is changing the landscape of CTO PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) planning. They discuss workflow for integrating photon-counting C...

How are advanced practice providers (APPs) helping to elevate cardiovascular care? In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Sameh Sayfo, an interventional cardiologist at Baylor Scott & White in Dallas, interviews nurse practitioner Hallie McNew about her journey from bedside ICU nursing to leading roles in cardiac surgery and structural heart practice. They discuss the unique strengths APPs b...

Will new PE guidelines redefine risk and therapy in pulmonary embolism (PE) care? In this episode of the BackTable podcast, host Dr. Michael Barraza is joined by interventional cardiologist Dr. Jay Giri and emergency physician Dr. Trevor Cummings to break down the latest changes in PE management. They discuss how multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism response teams (PERT) are implementing these gui...

Are the latest pulmonary embolism guidelines changing how you risk-stratify and intervene on acute PE? In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host Dr. Hady Lichaa interviews Dr. Sanjum Sethi of Columbia University Medical Center about the evolving management of pulmonary embolism (PE) and the major updates reflected in the newest guidelines. They review the new A–E risk classification system, ke...

Could persistent dyspnea after a “resolved” PE be more than just deconditioning or diastolic dysfunction? In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Hady Lichaa hosts interventional cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist Dr. Vladimir Lakhter, to discuss the diagnosis and management of CTEPH and chronic thromboembolic disease (CTED). They review the prevalence of CTEPH following pulmonary...

What do the very first TAVRs, rotational atherectomies, and angioplasty studies have in common? Dr. William O’Neill, an esteemed interventional cardiologist whose collaboration and innovation have shaped the field of interventional cardiology. In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host Dr. Babar Basir welcomes his mentor Dr. William O’Neill. Together, they trace the evolution of interventional...

From clot to clear flow, minimally invasive aspiration devices are PAVE-ing the way for safer treatment of endocarditis and cardiac masses. In this BackTable Cardiology episode, host Dr. Hady Lichaa sits down with Dr. Abdallah El Sabbagh to discuss percutaneous continuous-flow aspiration for right- and select left-sided endocarditis and cardiac masses. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtabl...

Below-the-knee (BTK) arterial disease remains one of the more challenging areas in vascular care, particularly in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), where heavy calcification complicates endovascular treatment. As new calcium-modifying technologies emerge, an important question remains: what evidence supports their use in BTK interventions? In this episode of BackTable Vascula...

Small vessels can have a major impact. Are you missing the hidden culprit of chest pain? In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host Dr. Hady Lichaa welcomes Yale Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Samit Shah to discuss Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction (CMD) and Angina with No Obstructive Coronary Arteries (ANOCA). Their discussion demonstrates how coronary function testing turns a historically v...

Summary This week, the coronary sinus isn’t the only thing getting reduced! Dr. Jai Khatri and Dr. Ziad Ali join this BackTable Brief to share strategies for reducing enrollment barriers for the COSIRA II coronary sinus reducer trial. They discuss refractory angina, emerging evidence for microvascular angina, and strategies to help patients achieve stable medical therapy and avoid resetting trial...

Coronary sinus reducers: the hourglass-shaped stents that might be able to take patients back to angina-free times. In this BackTable Cardiology Brief, Dr. Jai Khatri and Dr. Ziad Ali discuss patient selection, treatment algorithms, and recent, clinical-trial backed technology for treating diffuse, multi-vessel atherosclerotic disease. They emphasize staged PCI, careful counseling, and setting rea...

Clean lumen club! This week, BackTable meets you at the carotid bifurcation to discuss all things carotid angioplasty and stenting. Interventional neuroradiologist and cerebrovascular surgeon Dr. Adnan Siddiqui, Vice Chairman of the University of Buffalo’s Department of Neurosurgery, joins host Dr. Sameh Sayfo to discuss the evolution and current state of carotid disease treatment. --- Get the Bac...

Understanding when to use extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (and how) can be extra complex, but knowing the intricacies of ECMO is key to using it effectively. In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Hady Lichaa sits down with Dr. Allison Dupont to approach ECMO in a practical, clinically relevant way. They cover the fundamentals, including VV versus VA ECMO, circuit components, and key set...

Radial roots, peripheral reach! Radial to peripheral (R2P) access is the focus of this week’s episode with interventional cardiologist Dr. Shailendra Singh (Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute) and dual hosts Hady Lichaa and Sameh Sayfo. The conversation focuses on key techniques, pre-procedure planning and imaging, and ideal case selection for those new to the R2P approach....

TAPAS, TASTE, TOTAL. These are the names of clinical trials that re-evaluated the use of manual aspiration thrombectomy in STEMI. In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host Dr. Sameh Sayfo interviews Dr. Andrew Goldsweig, Director of Cardiovascular Clinical Research at Baystate Medical Center and Chair of the SCAI Standards and Guidelines Committee, about coronary thrombectomy in contemporary P...

What do all image-guided interventionalists and surgeons have in common? Over time, the radiation exposure and the weight of lead begin to take a toll, often in ways no one talks about until it’s too late. In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host Dr. Hady Lichaa sits down with Dr. Bob Foster, interventional cardiologist and Chief Medical Officer of Rampart IC, for a candid conversation about...

John Doe is a 45 year-old male with a past medical history of hypertension, on high doses of amlodipine, metoprolol and lisinopril presenting to his cardiologist with a blood pressure of 165/86. He asks, “If the medications are not controlling my blood pressure, what are my options?” In this episode of the BackTable Cardiology Podcast, Dr. Sameh Sayfo sits down with Dr. Eric Secemsky, an internati...

How do imaging, intravascular lithotripsy, and equipment selection come together to effectively target coronary calcium? In this episode of BackTable, interventional cardiologists Dr. Robert Riley (Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington) and Dr. Yousif Ahmad (UCSF) trade techniques and discuss various aspects of calcium modification in complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ---...

This is a friendly reminder to unclench your jaw, sit up straight, and take a deep breath before diving into the latest episode of BackTable Cardiology! Host Dr. Sameh Sayfo from Baylor Scott & White Health speaks with Dr. Sahil Parikh, a renowned interventional cardiologist from Columbia University, about the health of interventional cardiologists. They discuss the various occupational hazards in...

Are drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) the best way to treat in-stent restenosis? In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host and interventional cardiologist Dr. Sameh Sayfo takes a closer look at the evolving applications of coronary DEBs with two esteemed guests from the UK, Dr. Mohammad Alkhalil and Dr. Abhishek Kumar. --- SYNPOSIS This conversation covers the history and application of DEBs in tre...

Fast acting and reversible: IV cangrelor offers rapid on, rapid off P2Y12 platelet inhibition that sidesteps oral absorption delays. In this episode of the BackTable Cardiology Podcast, host Dr. Sameh Sayfo welcomes renowned interventional cardiologist Dr. Roxana Mehran, incoming President elect of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), to discuss the emerging role of cangrelor and its implicat...

If your New Year’s resolution involves learning more about current practice guidelines and emerging research on Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), you’re in the right place! In this episode of the BackTable Cardiology Podcast, host Dr. Hady Lichaa welcomes heart failure specialist Dr. Jessica Huston to provide a practical update on managing heart failure with preserved ejectio...

Clinicians play a central role in shaping cardiovascular innovation, yet many lack a clear pathway to participate. In this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Sameh Sayfo speaks with Dr. Mohamad Alkhouli, cardiologist and Chair of Research and Innovation at the Mayo Clinic, about practical approaches for clinician involvement in healthcare innovation and strategies to address persistent gaps in c...