A medical research group from Galway University has discovered a less invasive method of conducting heart bypass surgery that is anticipated to enhance patient care while significantly reducing healthcare expenditure. Through the procedure they tested in a clinical trial, the team utilises precise CT-scan imagery to detect coronary artery disease and obstructions, negating the necessity of invasive angiography – a process that pierces a blood vessel to insert a wire, cable, or catheter, coupled with dye usage for X-ray surveillance.
The participating academics and surgeons, comprising specialists from Europe and the United States, asserted that amalgamating non-invasive cardiac-CT with AI-assisted blood flow scanning is not only safe and feasible but could potentially revolutionise the way coronary artery bypass grafting is planned.
The images procured from the scans deployed in the clinical trial were scrutinised by the research group, who collaborated with surgeons stationed in cardiac hospitals across Europe and America via telemedicine. Oversight of the study was maintained by Corrib Research Centre for Advanced Imaging and Core Lab under the university. The study’s outcomes were revealed in the European Heart Journal on Sunday.
The pioneering human study boasted a feasibility of 99.1%, indicating that heart bypass surgery can be planned and executed safely without the need for intrusive diagnostic catheterisation, thanks to the reliability of the cardiac CT scan and AI-enabled blood flow examination.
The trial displayed mainly comparable safety and efficacy outcomes to patients who underwent conventional, invasive angiogram examinations, while the innate safety risks associated with invasive exploring were limited using the non-invasive method.
Professor Patrick W Serruys, the chairman of the trial and a member of Galway University, claimed that the results have the ability to streamline the arranging of heart bypass surgeries for patients and brings the University of Galway to the forefront of cardiovascular diagnosis, planning, and treatment of coronary artery disease.
The investigation was performed in cardiac hospitals located in Europe and America, encompassing 114 patients with severe obstructions in multiple vessels impeding the blood supply to their hearts. The cardiac CT employed carries a unique resolution, rendering the non-invasive images equal or even superior to those typically achieved by directly injecting contrast dye into the heart’s artery through a catheter.
In Professor Serruys’ words, the capability of surgeons to manage even the most complex coronary artery disease cases using a non-invasive CT scan and FFRCT signifies a significant advancement in healthcare.
The strategy doesn’t just lessen the diagnostic burden within cardiac catheterisation laboratories but also sets the stage for their evolution into specialised ‘interventional suites’. This in turn can considerably improve patient workflows. A cardiac catheterisation lab refers to a purpose-built theatre for carrying out tests and procedures on the heart and circulatory system. The majority of patients remain conscious during these procedures as they are generally minimally invasive and require only local anaesthesia.
Dr Yoshi Onuma, the head of medical at Corrib Research Centre, expressed the significance of looking into the possibilities of reducing diagnostic catheterisation procedures. He cites several reasons for this – such a procedure is invasive, unpleasant to the patient, and a drain on the health service funds. In addition, albeit the associated risk is minimal, it is not completely absent.
He believes their proposed method could potentially revolutionise the conventional interaction among general practitioners, radiologists, cardiologists, and cardiothoracic surgeons, ultimately benefiting patients. The team of researchers intends to execute a large-scale randomised trial that would involve more than 2,500 patients recruited from around 80 hospitals throughout Europe.