Vijayawada: Chief cardiologist Dr Pothineni Ramesh Babu stated that artificial intelligence (AI) is now playing a crucial role in medical diagnostics. Aster Ramesh Hospitals has introduced the Computed Tomography-Fractional Flow Reserve (CT-FFR) test for the first time in the country.
Addressing the media conference here on Sunday, Dr Ramesh Babu said that advanced AI technologies are significantly improving precision diagnostics and treatment in various medical fields such as cardiology, neurology, oncology, genomics, and single-cell atlas research.
Before entering the cath lab, it is possible to determine whether a patient needs stents, how many are required, and their exact size using CT Angiogram, FFR and plaque morphology assessments.
This cutting-edge on-site CT Angiogram FFR equipment, which has received Conformité Européenne (CE) approval, has been installed for the first time at Aster Ramesh Hospitals in Ongole, Guntur and Vijayawada. This test allows doctors to determine whether a patient needs stents while they are still in the CT scan room.
Referring to the dilemma of stent or bypass surgery, he said that the decision between bypass surgery and stents is crucial, particularly when all three major blood vessels are blocked, especially in diabetic patients.
While stents may be sufficient for some, clinical data suggests that bypass surgery provides better long-term outcomes for the majority. Dr Ramesh Babu asserts that a stress test should not be performed before a CT Angiogram or Catheter Angiogram.
According to the American Heart Association guidelines, a stress test is not required as a first-line test in 50 per cent of patients, he stated.
