The development of new technology and robotic systems in cardiology is creating new possibilities in the specialty, from AI to minimally invasive surgery.
Here’s what five cardiologists have told Becker’s they see in the future of technology in cardiology and cardiac surgery:
1. A new agentic AI-powered pre-procedure coordination assistant at New York City-based Mount Sinai Hospital is making a significant difference for patients preparing for cardiac catheterization.
“During the pandemic, we faced a shortage of nurses and physicians. Projections from various government agencies indicate that by 2030, this shortage will worsen,” Annapoorna Kini, MD. director of the cathlab and interventional structural heart disease program, told Becker’s.
“Nurses handle both clinical work and a lot of nonclinical clerical work, especially since EMR documentation became standard. This includes repetitive tasks that nurses did not go into the field to do. We need nurses at the bedside, doing clinical work,” Dr. Kini said. “In areas like cardiac catheterization, a text message doesn’t cut it. We need to ask specific clinical questions, that’s where artificial intelligence comes in. AI is perfectly suited for those repetitive but critical tasks — like calling patients with instructions, directions and answering common questions.
2. In June, Anjali Vaidya, MD, the lead author of a study conducted by Philadelphia-based Temple University Health System, joined Becker’s to discuss the impacts of an EHR-integrated echocardiography screening tool being used within the system.
“The shortened time to accurate diagnosis and referral to an accredited pulmonary hypertension care center is an extremely valuable asset,” she said. “We showed that patients who were referred to Temple Cardiology’s CTEPH Program were more than 2.5 times as likely to receive the gold standard of care in their evaluation. This correlates with more accurate diagnoses, improvements in survival, patient satisfaction and alignment with all of the international and national guidelines and major medical organization standards.
3. Wayne Franklin, MD, senior vice president of the Children’s National Heart Center at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., told Becker’s that “[cardiology] is well suited for AI because of the high volume of data, including images, pharmacologic, interventional and surgical treatment options, patient outcomes and preventive medicine. Actually, cardiology was one of the first specialties to utilize an early form of AI with computer-assisted interpretation of electrocardiograms, started in the 1970s.”
“Fast-forward to today, and not only can AI help make an impact on the leading cause of death in the U.S. but cardiovascular medicine has such a vast amount of evidence already scientifically proven that the field is ready to take the next step by integrating cutting-edge AI technology,” he continued. “Here at Children’s National, we have started to use AI in our pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, where we have utilized continuous surveillance monitoring to help predict when patients are likely to clinically deteriorate and early signs show that this prevents cardiac arrests. With thoughtful and well-planned implementation, AI has the ability to transform not only cardiovascular disease but the entire spectrum of healthcare, leading to safer, faster and more personalized care for patients and families.”
4. When asked what new technology excited him most, Rajesh Sharma, MD, a cardiologist at Advanced Heart and Vein Center in Thornton, Colo., told Becker’s: “New therapies for hypertension, including renal denervation. This adds to our armamentarium for hypertension management. Also, what’s exciting is the evolution of the [ASC] and ability to perform a majority of elective procedures in a safe environment that’s extremely cost-effective.
5. “The Da Vinci 5, the newest robot, has not yet been approved by the FDA for cardiac surgery, though I think within a year it will be,” Makoto Hashimoto, MD, a renowned cardiac surgeon at the Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, told Becker’s in March.
“I’m particularly excited about an instrument called the endo-stabilizer, which can be used for TCAB, totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting,” he continued. “It will enable the most minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery. The next five years will be a major transition period for robotic cardiac surgery, more hospitals will start robotic programs and the number of cases will increase. For the next 10 years, I think telesurgery will probably become more prominent. I’m not sure how it will be made possible, but I know telesurgery is something all surgeons are interested in.”
