Albert Einstein Medical Center First in Region to Use
New Imaging System To Assess Bypass Quality During Procedure
Philadelphia, PA, January 4, 2006– Imagine a system that lets doctors determine the quality and effectiveness of coronary artery bypass graft surgeries before
patients leave the operating room. Now, in a first for the Philadelphia region, Albert Einstein Healthcare Network has such
a system available. The new technology, called the SPY®Intra-operative Imaging System (SPY System), is the first fluorescent
imaging system approved by the Food & Drug Administration for use in coronary artery bypass surgery. Without this new system,
doctors have to get images of the heart after the patient’s chest is closed in order to assess whether the blood is flowing
properly through the new grafts.
“I’m very glad this technology is available because it allows surgeons to validate our operation and ensure good results,
“ says Linda Bogar, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Albert Einstein Medical Center, and the first surgeon in the Philadelphia
area to use the system. “Based on the images, we can make adjustments during the bypass operation which will help patients
avoid a repeat surgery, and hopefully decrease complications,” she adds.
The SPY System uses a fluorescent imaging agent that attaches to proteins in the blood, and emits light when stimulated by
an infrared laser. The technique does not heat up heart tissue and does not present any risk to the patient or staff in the
operating room. The agent lights up blood flowing through the veins and arteries in real time. The camera takes live images
of the heart which are captured on a computer screen, saved, and can be printed for medical reference. The testing takes only
two to three minutes per graft.
Coronary artery bypass surgery is performed when blood flow to the heart is blocked and drug therapy and stents are no longer
effective. The operation involves taking a portion of a blood vessel (or graft), from somewhere else in the body, and attaching
it to a narrowed or blocked artery, restoring blood flow to the heart muscle.
The SPY System is suitable for off-pump and traditional on-pump coronary artery bypass procedures. Both types of surgeries
are performed at Albert Einstein Medical Center. In on-pump operations, the patient’s heart is stopped and blood is pumped
through the body using a heart-lung machine. In off-pump procedures, the heart is not stopped. The imaging allows cardiac
surgeons to see how well blood is flowing through the newly-created vessels. If blood is not flowing as expected, the surgeon
can immediately correct the problem. The SPY system is made by Novadaq Technologies, Inc.
Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, a member of the Jefferson Health System, provides healthcare services through Albert Einstein
Medical Center, Germantown Community Health Services, Willow Terrace (a nursing home), Einstein at Elkins Park, MossRehab,
Willowcrest (a center for subacute care), Belmont Behavioral Health and a number of outpatient and satellite locations. Einstein
also operates a primary care network, Einstein Neighborhood Healthcare. For more information, visit
www.einstein.edu or call 1-800-EINSTEIN.
CONTACT: Judy Horwitz
Communications Specialist
Albert Einstein Healthcare Network
215-456-6730
horwitzj@einstein.edu
Publish date: January 4, 2006
