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With more than 126 million individuals affected annually, ischemic heart disease is a well-known clinical condition in every hospital around the world [1]. And due to the aging population, numbers are expected to rise [2]. 

“Ischemic heart disease has many faces,” says Yacoub Habib, MD, Interventional Cardiologist, Cardio-Thoracic Center (Centre Cardio Thoracique), Monaco. A fast and thorough diagnosis is therefore the first crucial step in defining the right treatment. 

The seamless transition of a patient from one point of care to the next is essential in getting the right diagnosis fast. With their multidisciplinary approach, the Cardio-Thoracic Center in Monaco is well positioned to do just that. Cardiac patient Bruno Cauvin, seemingly healthy and athletic, suffered a heart attack following a workout. The event came on suddenly, and the right set-up and innovations were decisive in successfully treating him.

Cauvin was transferred from the ambulance directly to the cath lab, which allowed Habib to treat him immediately. “Time is very precious in this type of procedure because the longer the delay, the greater the damage to the heart muscle,” emphasizes Filippo Civaia, MD, General Cardiology, Cardiovascular Imaging, Cardio-Thoracic Center, Monaco. Imaging techniques are already indispensable today – but they are also constantly evolving.

Together with Siemens Healthineers, the Cardio-Thoracic Center in Monaco is applying the latest innovations in imaging to prepare for the growing need for cardiac interventions. The Cardio-Thoracic Center was one of the first institutions to integrate a photon-counting CT scanner into their set-up. The high-resolution images at low dose, spectral information in every scan, and improved contrast at low noise allow the visualization of previously undetectable details in the heart without dose penalty. With photon-counting CT, the medical professionals in Monaco can save time and deliver quick results that help stage disease and guide treatment decisions.

Cauvin’s case is a prime example of how effective the multidisciplinary approach and multimodality set-up are for cardiac patients: An MRI scan was performed a few days after the procedure and showed that the damage to his heart was limited thanks to his fast treatment. 

To reduce the risk of such dramatic incidents for Cauvin in the future, close aftercare is carried out with the help of photon-counting CT. Civaia: „We now have an imaging modality that has a major impact on patient follow up, enabling us to for example study possible structural abnormalities of the stent.”