Western Baptist Hospital cardiac catheterization lab staff and physicians received unique training recently to help them treat coronary artery disease, the single leading killer of Americans.

The Boston Scientific Mobile Simulation unit replicates a cardiac catheterization lab with realistic simulation technology, allowing practitioners to explore new procedural solutions and to “perform” percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in a risk-free environment.

Cardiologist J. Kenneth Ford, M.D., said Baptist’s interventional cardiologists work to stay informed about the latest technology to battle the deadly disease, which affects 11 million Americans each year.

“As technologies evolve and allow us to treat more challenging cases,” Ford said, “it is important for physicians to maintain the skill and comfort level needed to approach these high-risk scenarios. Continuous training is valuable in this regard and helps us enhance the high standard of care we provide to our community.”

The Boston Scientific Mobile Training Unit is a 35-foot bus, complete with a pre-procedure patient briefing area, an area for performing interventions on a simulated patient named Simantha® and a post-procedure metric evaluation computer station. Training participants have the option of performing interventions on “high-risk” coronary artery blockages or using the latest embolic protection device to treat a patient with a diseased saphenous vein graft (SVG) placed during coronary bypass surgery. 

High-risk blockages may be difficult to treat because of their type, location or size. Historically, these cases often required bypass surgery; however, breakthrough technologies increase the likelihood of successfully treating them with less invasive procedures. Because this is becoming more common, an increased emphasis is placed on technique and device choice. 

“This kind of simulation not only gives us a unique opportunity to learn new approaches to challenging cases, but also allows us to hone our skills and technique,” said Ford. “Partnering with Boston Scientific brings hands-on training in the latest treatment methods right to our door, so it is accessible and convenient.”