MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital adopts AI for cardiac mapping

MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center has become the first hospital in Maryland to implement HeartFlow PCI Navigator, an artificial intelligence-powered technology designed to assist in cardiac procedures.

The platform utilizes images from standard cardiac CT angiograms to create color-coded, 3D models of a patient’s coronary arteries. These models provide detailed information regarding the location and type of plaque buildup, the extent of arterial narrowing, and the resulting impact on blood flow. This data, which is traditionally only accessible in real time once a procedure has commenced, can now be used to plan interventions before cardiac catheterization begins.

Interventional cardiologist Dr. Brian C. Case and his team utilized the system in early September to guide a procedure for a patient presenting with chest pain. Dr. Case noted that the technology allows medical teams to approach procedures with a clearer plan by understanding a patient’s unique coronary anatomy in advance, rather than reacting to findings during the operation.