Case Study: Interventional Radiology Breaks New Ground

This case study chronicles Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute's implementation of a "hybrid" angiography suite consisting of Allura Xper FD technology and surgical lighting and boom technology.

For more than a decade, Dr. Barry T. Katzen, Medical Director of Baptist Cardiac and Vascular Institute (BCVI) in Miami, Florida, has pioneered the integration of surgical and interventional procedures. Dr. Katzen and his team continue to show that surgical procedures in an angiographic environment can be accomplished with the same degree of efficiency as in an operating room (OR).

"The specialties of interventional radiology and vascular surgery bring more to each other when we work together," suggests Dr. Katzen. "Procedures that help drive this relationship include aneurysms of the thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta. Having an environment where we can use a surgical option allows us to think out of the box for individualized patient solutions."

In 2008, Philips Healthcare and Skytron entered into a collaborative agreement to provide comprehensive, integrated solutions for the cardiovascular environment. Dr. Katzen seized the opportunity to refine the surroundings. Based on a well-coordinated plan from Philips and Skytron, Room Two underwent a significant upgrade aimed at enhancing hybrid functionality.

One of the great advantages of the new room design is it's so spacious that we can all operate and function very effectively without being in each other's way. Information can be transferred to the head of the bed—to the anesthesiologist— down to where we're working very easily," explained Dr. James F. Benenati, Medical Director of the Peripheral Vascular Laboratory.

The surgical team at BCVI has been appreciative of the changes made. Dr. Katzen believes the upgrade has created a better environment for all involved. Recently, they encountered an excellent example of how successfully the teams can combine surgical access with an interventional solution. A patient presented with critical narrowing of an artery to the brain and chest, and a narrowing of that same artery in the neck. Access This Content To Read This Case Study in Its Entirety.