1st Successful Heart Tumor Removal Without Open Heart Surgery
EchoPixel has once again contributed to a pioneering procedure at CentraCare – St. Cloud Hospital with the first team to remove a heart tumor without invasive open heart surgery using the novel AlphaVac catheter.
Previously CentraCare had been the first to use EchoPixel’s 4D hologram technology to conduct the WATCHMAN implant, which is a one-time, minimally invasive procedure for people with atrial fibrillation who need an alternative to blood thinners to protect them from a stroke. Notably this 4D technology also allows a physician to complete the procedure without the use of contrast dye, a game changer for patients with kidney conditions who otherwise couldn’t have the procedure.
A cardiac puzzle
This procedure, like the one before it, was conducted with the assistance of Jacob Dutcher, MD, an interventional cardiologist and director of the Structural Heart Program at CentraCare Heart & Vascular Center, and EchoPixel’s chief medical officer. The patient had come to the facility with shortness of breath and fatigue, which continued even after his pacemaker was adjusted. Following a transesophageal echocardiogram to assess the structure and function of the heart, the physicians discovered a mass in the right atrium, near the pacemaker wires.
“While we saw the mass, we weren’t sure it was the cause of the symptoms the patient was experiencing, but given his condition and age, our recommendation was to take out the mass – especially because these types of masses, while small in this case, could break off and cause pulmonary embolism,” Dr. Dutcher explained. Until now, the only way to remove a mass from the heart was via open heart surgery, which the St. Cloud Hospital cardiology team deemed too risky for the patient.
During a regular internal conference with the structural heart, heart failure and surgical teams, they brought up the case to brainstorm ideas on how to solve the problem, and one plausible idea was to find a percutaneous solution to remove the mass. While they had heard of surgeons removing other types of masses with a catheter and thought this could be an option, it would only work if they were able to get a good image allowing for the surgeon to guide it appropriately.
EchoPixel’s solution yields success
“That’s when I suggested using EchoPixel’s True3D software platform to plan the procedure and its HTG software platform to guide the catheter to suck out the mass, given our successful prior experience with the technology,” Dutcher said.
The team used an AlphaVac catheter, which uses negative pressure to suction out the tumor, which took amere 20 minutes to complete. The team encompassed Dr. Dutcher, who guided EchoPixel’s technology; Dr. Wade Schmidt, MD, chief of cardiology and director of the peripheral vascular program at St. Cloud Hospital, who maneuvered the catheter; and the rest of the cath lab team. The mass was later diagnosed as fibroelastoma, a benign tumor of the heart.
“The patient probably could have gone home that same day, but he stayed overnight as again, this was the first time this type of procedure had been performed,” said Dr. Dutcher. “While these types of tumors aren’t cancerous, they can cause problems. They can grow and be obstructive or can break loose and potentially go to the lungs, which causes a pulmonary embolism or to the brain, which causes a stroke.
“This is going to change our standard of care in a pretty quantum leap,” said Dr. Schmidt. “We now have the experience and technology to treat a whole different population of patients.”
“This new technique definitely opens possibilities in other procedures, whether it’s a tumor, clot, mass or infection, which is very exciting,” concluded Dr. Dutcher.
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