A new method for heart bypass surgery has been successfully tested in a clinical trial at the University of Galway. The trial suggests that this less invasive approach offers comparable safety and effectiveness to established methods, replacing the safety risks associated with invasive catheterisation investigation with a non-invasive technique using CT scan imaging and AI-powered blood flow analysis. The trial, known as the FAST TRACK CABG study, was coordinated by a research team at the University.The Corrib Research Centre for Advanced Imaging and Core Lab has observed heart surgeons using non-invasive cardiac-CT scan images and HeartFlow’s AI-powered blood flow analysis to plan and perform coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This research has been published in the European Heart Journal. The study’s main discovery is the 99.1% feasibility of performing heart bypass surgery without invasive diagnostic catheterisation, due to the accurate diagnostic capabilities of the cardiac CT scan and AI-powered blood flow analysis.
The University of Galway sponsored the trial, which was funded by GE Healthcare (Chicago, USA) and HeartFlow, Inc. (Redwood City, California, USA).
When comparing the safety and effectiveness of heart bypass surgery, the trial found that the outcomes were similar to recent surgical groups of patients who underwent conventional invasive angiogram investigations. This involves inserting a catheter through an artery in the wrist or groin to access diseased arteries and using dye to visualize blockages.
The findings of the FAST TRACK CABG trial indicate that the less invasive approach to heart bypass surgery offers similar levels of safety and effectiveness.The research team observed that the risks associated with invasive procedures can be avoided by using a non-invasive method that utilizes CT scan imaging and AI-powered blood flow analysis. Professor Patrick W Serruys, the trial chairman and Established Professor of Interventional Medicine and Innovation at University of Galway, stated that the trial results could make the planning process for heart bypass surgery more straightforward. He also highlighted the University of Galway’s leading role in cardiovascular diagnosis, planning, and treatment through the CORRIB Core Lab.The study, which took place in top cardiac care hospitals in Europe and the US, involved 114 patients with severe blockages in multiple vessels that were limiting blood flow to their heart. The Revolution CT, a special cardiac CT used in the study by GE Healthcare, was able to produce non-invasive images of equal or better quality than traditional images obtained through direct injection of contrast dye in the heart artery via a catheter.
The high resolution cardiovascular images and data were analyzed during the trial by the CORRIB Core Lab team. This technology represents a significant advancement in the non-invasive diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease.Shared by telemedicine with surgeons in trial hospitals.
The HeartFlowTM Analysis, which uses AI to analyze blood flow known as Fractional Flow Reserve derived from CT (FFRCT), measures how effectively the narrowed vessel delivers blood to the heart muscle. This helped the surgeon clearly identify which of the patient’s vessels should receive a bypass graft.
According to Professor Serruys, “The potential for surgeons to address even the most complex cases of coronary artery disease using only a non-invasive CT scan, and FFRCT represents a significant shift in healthcare. Following the example of the surgeon, interventions for such cases can now be more precise and targeted.”Interventional cardiologists might want to consider bypassing the traditional method of invasive cineangiography and relying solely on CT scans for planning procedures. This not only reduces the burden in cath labs but also allows for the transformation of them into dedicated ‘interventional suites’, which will ultimately improve patient workflows.”
According to Dr. Yoshi Onuma, Professor of Interventional Cardiology at University of Galway and the medical director of CORRIB Research Centre, “It is important to explore the potential for minimizing diagnostic catheterization procedures for several reasons. A catheterization procedure is invasive and can be avoided.“It can be uncomfortable for the patient and expensive for the health service. Although the procedure carries minimal risk, it is not entirely risk-free,” said Dr. John Puskas, a surgeon at Mount Sinai Morningside in New York and a professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia. “As the only North American surgeon enrolling many patients in this trial, I can confidently say that there is no loss in diagnostic precision or accuracy, nor any decrease in the quality of surgical planning or performance when the surgical team is guided solely by data from the latest technology.”The next generation of non-invasive coronary CT scans is providing surgeons with a new and improved imaging modality. This new method is proving to be a better guide than the older invasive coronary angiogram.
