South Shore Hospital’s Cath Lab Leads Region with Innovative FFRangio® System

South Shore Hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab is the first in New England to adopt revolutionary diagnostic imaging technology that provides clinicians results in seconds while vastly improving the patient experience.

The CathWorks FFRangio® System is a computer-based technology that uses x-rays of a patient’s heart to create a 3D model showing the size of their cardiac vessels and location of any blockages.

Previously, to get this information, a patient would need two different intravenous medications (one to stimulate the heart and a second to thin the blood) prior to having a wire directly inserted into their coronary arteries. Afterward, the patient would be under nurse observation for a number of hours.

With this new tool, our cardiologists can do their clinical assessment quicker, more comprehensively, without medications, and in a way that is more comfortable for the patient. Our nurses are able to discharge patients faster and have increased capacity to care for others.

Last September, Tony Polgar, Senior Sales Manager from Medtronic, approached our award-winning Cath Lab with the opportunity to adopt the CathWorks FFRangio® System.

“I thought of South Shore Hospital because of the volume of patients they serve, my outstanding relationships with staff and physicians, and their past willingness to explore innovative approaches to patient care,” says Polgar.

Anthony Marks, MD, Chief of Cardiology at South Shore Health and Director of Cardiac Catheterization Lab (Cath Lab), along with Nick Peatfield, Tech Supervisor, and Heather Najarian, RN, Clinical Nurse Coordinator, became the champions for the system.

“I knew the investment in this cutting-edge technology would benefit not only our patients, but our colleagues and organization as a whole in terms of patient flow”, Najarian said.

Working closely with engaged representatives from Legal, IT, and our Bio-medical departments with support from senior leaders, the Cath Lab was able to rapidly implement the FFRangio® System over a period of four months. In January, representatives from CathWorks and Medtronic supported the Cath Lab team on site as it begins to use the technology on patients.

Thanks to collaboration, forward thinking, and an ongoing commitment to delivering quality patient care, South Shore Health is grateful for the remarkable distinction of having the first hospital in the New England region to use FFRangio® System to better serve our patients and our community.