Bringing Robotics into the Cath Lab to Protect Physicians

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI, or angioplasty with stent) is a common procedure used to treat patients with obstructive coronary artery disease, with an estimated 600,000 procedures performed annually in the United States. PCI has a low risk of complications for patients, but that's not the case for clinicians. Patients receive a dose of radiation during a PCI procedure, which takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. Interventional cardiologists and cardiac catheterization laboratory personnel are exposed to ionizing radiation all day, every day. Protective measures, such as radiation safety caps, goggles, and lead garments and shielding, minimize exposure but don't completely protect clinicians from radiation's harmful effects. "Protection garments aren't full body," said Dr. Alan Lumsden, chief of cardiovascular surgery at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center at Houston Methodist Hospital. "Even with radiation glasses you get scatter radiation on your face." That scatter radiation, and other exposure, leads to an increased risk of cataracts, thyroid disease, brain tumors, heart abnormalities, and hair loss for clinicians. Wearing a heavy lead garment every day for hours on end also leads to back strain and other orthopedic injuries. Robotic-assisted PCI promises to dramatically reduce radiation exposure, as well as improve precision during the procedure. "You get a very fine control of catheters and wires," Lumsden said.  Houston Methodis...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Medical Device Business Source Type: news