8 hours ago
Advanced imaging technology in new ambulatory surgical center brings vital pulse to cardiovascular care
For many hospitals, it's a high-stakes scramble to keep pace with soaring patient loads and procedural complexities that stall critical care. Mergers and closures compound the backlog.
On Philadelphia's North Broad Street, Dr. Jon George, along with his business partner, Dr. Vincent Varghese, is introducing sophisticated interventional cardiology technology in the form of an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) that he says could change the game by moving outpatient procedures to the dedicated surgical suite at ReVaMP Heart and Vascular Surgery Center.
Here, patients who need interventional procedures suited for outpatient care jump to the front of the line for personalized treatment from a dedicated team focused solely on their needs. No red tape. No added steps. Just rapid-fire interventional cardiovascular procedures known for their singular focus.
'In locations like ours, where high demand coincides with major hospital closings, the ASC is a viable option to traditional care,' George said. 'An ASC focuses on cases that can be done in an outpatient setting, where patients are seen rapidly, and procedures are done efficiently.'
George is quick to laud area hospitals as some of the nation's finest. But he says they struggle with volume, pushing ambulatory outpatient procedures to the background. Patients endure long waits before they get care. When they do, the hospital is buzzing with many procedures happening at once. Distractions abound.
That, says George, has given rise to the ASC model.
'What we deliver in the ASC is hyper-focused cardiovascular care,' he said. 'Each patient has a dedicated care team committed to that specific procedure at that specific time. Their only job in that moment is caring for the patient's individual needs. There are no other procedures to distract them, no other responsibilities to tend to other than the care of that one patient.'
The results are evident, from both a health care outcomes perspective and from a business perspective.
'Obviously, the patient experience is greatly enhanced,' said George. 'We deliver high quality care without the red tape and hassle of a hospital procedure. When patients walk in the door, they know they're the sole focus of me and the care team. They know that the same team will be with them until they walk out the door.'
The business advantage comes in the name of health care delivery costs.
'We're in an era of rising health care costs,' George said. 'That's especially true in hospitals because of patient complexity. Those costs bleed into the delivery of ambulatory care. Now, by taking that procedure out of the hospital and performing it in a dedicated ambulatory space, we're able to perform a more focused procedure at a considerably lower cost, and in a much more efficient and higher-quality setting.'
At the heart of that setting is an interventional imaging system purposely built to deliver the patient outcomes George and his patients expect.
The ARTIS icono floor system from Siemens Healthineers redefines image-guided therapy with its versatile, floor-mounted design and advanced imaging technology. It's built to meet the demands of interventional procedures — from cardiovascular to oncology — with exceptional image quality, enhanced workflow and a future-ready platform for precision medicine.
'I do endovascular procedures from head to toe,' George said. 'What I needed was a system that excels in all the procedures we do — coronary, peripheral arterial and even venous. And we include electrophysiologists for pacemakers, ICDs and generator changes. The system had to be optimal for all of those procedures in a single room, and within specific space requirements.'
George cites three reasons why he chose the ARTIS icono floor system.
First, he said, was its versatility around the room for the diversity of the ASC's procedures. Access in the jugular vs. radial vs. femoral vs. pedal — George said ARTIS icono floor met those versatility demands without interfering with the operators.
He cited ARTIS icono's ability to deliver optimized resolution and minimized radiation exposure with dose. It features unique technology that renders exceptional images at the lowest possible dose.
Finally, he needed optimized resolution and minimized radiation exposure with dose. Again, the Icono floor system answers that question.
And he lauded the system's ability to perform like a ceiling-mounted system even from the smaller confines of a floor-mounted room.
'As technology evolves, and as catheters and devices get smaller, the risk for procedures goes down,' George said. 'We'll see more cardiovascular procedures moved to an outpatient setting and ASCs will be there to meet the demand. They are the future of cardiovascular care, because there is now so much more that we can do and will continue to do on an outpatient basis.'
Learn more about ARTIS icono — Angiography System — Siemens Healthineers USA.
