Complex PCI procedures are becoming increasingly common. One study conducted in 2013 demonstrates that they account for 40% of all PCI cases.1 These procedures can last as long as two hours,2 with a high percentage of that time dedicated to wiring lesions. This can be an extremely challenging process, particularly when navigating tortuous vascular anatomies, entering target vessels, or crossing long, calcified lesions.
Anyone who has ever worked in a cath lab knows that the sheer complexity of the job means that from time to time, difficulties will arise. The common “trial and error” method of navigating vessels and crossing lesions can be unpredictable. Interventionalists often need multiple attempts with various guidewires to finally be able to cross the lesion, which can require additional fluoroscopy time, contrast agent and radiation exposure. That, in turn, can result in an increased danger of issues such as contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), a common but serious complication of PCI.3
There is an alternative emerging to the complex, difficult procedure that is manual PCI today. Robotic-assisted PCI (R-PCI) has the potential to overcome the challenges described above by allowing interventionalists to perform consistent and predictable movements that aid in wiring lesions, even in complex cases.
This paper explores the potential of one robotic system for PCI – Corindus CorPath GRX – to advance coronary interventions. Its automated movements will be explained in three chapters:
- The value of high-volume skills provided by the robotic system
- Expert advice – Things to know when starting a R-PCI program
- Economic value of procedural automation
As it stands today, the benefits of CorPath GRX are extremely hard to ignore.
How does Corindus CorPath® GRX work?
Corindus CorPath GRX is a robotic system that helps to create a safe and healthy workspace for interventionalists. It allows operators to perform interventions by manipulating guidewires, guide catheters and devices from a radiation-shielded, ergonomic workplace with a set of joysticks and touchscreen controls without the need to wear heavy protective lead.
Automated movements of the robotic system aid operators in navigating tortuous anatomies and crossing complex lesions. Exact measurement of anatomy aids in selecting the appropriate stent, while precise movements support accurate device-positioning. All this can contribute to more consistent, high-quality outcomes. These capabilities allow more operators to perform complex PCI with confidence and help interventionalists reduce unwarranted variations.