MONTREAL – The Montreal Heart Institute and Purdue University Hospital Center announced Monday the launch of a project that could lead to the first comprehensive AI-based image guidance solution for the treatment of valvular heart disease.
He explained that this solution will be tested in 17 hospitals in Canada, France, Germany and Italy, which may make it possible to collect data from about 25,000 patients in order to “increase the accuracy, safety and efficiency of procedures.”
When it comes to treating a heart valve – whether it's the aortic valve, the mitral valve or the tricuspid valve – experts consult to decide whether traditional surgery is appropriate, or whether we can instead allow for a less invasive procedure via a catheter, as the instigator of this article explained. the operation. A project by Dr. Walid Ben Ali from the Montreal Heart Institute.
Discussions can be long, with everyone trying to put their point across.
He pointed out, “What we decided in this project was to take the artificial intelligence tool and apply it to the imaging we have and to patient data,” explaining that artificial intelligence will not decide anything.
“It's a tool to help clinicians break free from these tasks, so they can devote themselves to more of their clinical tasks.”
Dr. Ben Ali said that even with the tools currently available, analyzing images and data from a single patient can take thirty minutes. When we multiply that by a few dozen patients, we better understand the time doctors have to devote to these analyses.
It is estimated that artificial intelligence may be able to do the same task in just seconds.
“We are not talking about the same thing,” said Dr. Ben Ali, who completed two years of training in artificial intelligence at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology before launching this project. Will I take these results for granted? Not at all, I will always have my point of view as a doctor. But instead of taking thirty minutes, I'll review the results in two or three minutes.
He noted that this tool could be very useful in less developed countries, where doctors do not have the same resources as doctors in rich countries.
Dr. Ben Ali said that the first phase of the project therefore aims to “facilitate the work of doctors, but also to democratize these solutions in emerging countries that do not have the experience.”
The second step would be to take the tool a step further by asking it to 'guide' the procedure, for example by advising the doctor on the best place to install the new valve to reduce the risk of complications.
However, Dr. Ben Ali says he understands the concerns of residents who fear a potential slide.
He said: “I read a lot in the press, the black box, the black box, the black box…” If someone uses AI in a sensible and transparent way, they should not have this problem anymore. Can it be removed 100%? I do not think so. There will always be a risk of error. There is nothing in statistics for which the error is zero. But things have certainly developed.”
He added that the goal of disseminating the solution in about fifteen centers around the world is to facilitate its adoption. We hope that the experts who use it will become its emissaries.
Dr. Ben Ali concluded: “We cannot only be at the doctor’s side, but we must also see the patient who needs these services.” If the device can provide these services, why not? The goal is to provide service to the patient. But it is important to remember that it is an aid to the doctor, not an alternative tool.
Valvopathy, also called heart valve disease or valvular disease, is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that this problem affects about 47 million people worldwide. Its prevalence is estimated at between 8 and 13% among people over the age of 65 years globally, a percentage that is expected to increase with the aging of the population in general.
