Wellstar’s Comprehensive Aortic Program has identified thousands of hidden aneurysms in the past two years. The goal of the program is to help people before their conditions become life-threatening.
Aortic aneurysms are bulges in the body’s largest blood vessel. They can burst and cause severe damage or death if they become too big. Unfortunately, most people never know they have one because they are typically asymptomatic until they rupture.
However, the aortic experts at Wellstar found a way to help people before they have an emergency.
“When patients have CT scans at Wellstar for other reasons, we use artificial intelligence (AI) to sift through them and find images of someone who may have aneurysm,” said Wellstar Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. James Ryan Burke. “That allows us to proactively contact them and bring them in if appropriate for evaluation to discuss that diagnosis.”
Since the program launch in July 2022, more than 4,700 people with aneurysms have been placed under surveillance—a protocol to monitor people who have a risk. Surveillance allows people to avoid undergoing unnecessary surgery but to know when the aneurysm grows larger and becomes a greater concern.
For people who had large, potentially life-threatening aneurysms, cardiovascular surgeons and vascular surgeons performed more than 700 advanced procedures at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center since the program began.
“These are major cardiac operations only performed in centers that offer complex aortic surgery,” Dr. Burke said. “The outcomes are best when done in experienced centers that do a high volume of procedures, like Wellstar Kennestone.”
Patient-centered aortic care
“This program is very patient-oriented. We have an excellent team of dedicated physicians at Wellstar to accomplish our mission and I think it’s very beneficial for both patients and physicians,” said Vascular Surgeon Dr. Michael Corey.
The aortic program at Wellstar provides a higher level of aortic care than a patient would typically find in a local hospital. What makes the program unique is:
- The multispecialty team of aortic experts working together
- The cutting-edge AI technology used to identify patients who are unaware they have an aneurysm
- A high-tech hybrid operating room (OR) for open or minimally invasive procedures
- The latest surgical techniques and technology
- A high volume of procedures performed
“The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. It runs from the heart, through the chest and abdomen and down to the legs,” said Dr. Burke. “When you have a disease process involving the aorta, it requires multiple specialties.”
Wellstar’s specialized aortic team includes cardiovascular surgeons, vascular surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
There is also a cardiac hybrid OR that brings a catheterization lab and surgery suite together in one space, making aortic aneurysm treatment more efficient and encouraging collaboration between our expert providers.
“The hybrid OR is a state-of-the-art, innovative, open operating room where patients can receive complex aortic reconstructions—procedures that have open surgery components to them—as well as endovascular (or minimally invasive) aortic reconstructions. This all can take place in one nice operating room,” Dr. Corey said.
The aortic program is part of a larger heart care program at Wellstar, based at Wellstar Kennestone, the first in Georgia and the fourth in the nation to receive Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center Certification by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association. This is the highest certification in cardiovascular care.
