Montreal Heart Institute surgeons develop free aortic surgery app

A world first at the Montreal Heart Institute

Three cardiac surgeons from the Montreal Heart Institute, Dr. Yoan Lamarche, Dr. Ismail El-Hamamsy and Dr. Philippe Demers, are behind Aorta, a free app that provides specialists with patient-specific recommendations for aortic replacement surgery based on the latest scientific guidelines.

The easy-to-use app is a useful tool which helps physicians tailor clinical decisions to their patients. Aorta was developed for cardiologists, cardiac surgeons as well as family physicians caring with patients with aortic aneurysms, ie, abnormal dilatation of the aorta. Through a short series of key questions, the app provides physicians with the treatment recommendations for their individual patients based on the latest guidelines on the management of aortic aneurysms published by major scientific organisations: the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the European Society of Cardiology.

"Aorta is an ace up your sleeve when you need to make an informed decision about whether a surgical procedure is necessary," explains Dr. Lamarche. "It's an important complement to the clinical expertise of specialists because it gives access to all of the most recent guidelines in just a few seconds, makes it possible to offer patients customized treatment, and provides concrete information that can help doctors and patients reach a joint decision about the best timing for surgery. In essence, it brings us a step closer to true individualized medicine"