The association between experience and proficiency with robotic-enhanced coronary intervention—insights from the PRECISE multi-center study

Abstract

Objectives: The PRECISE multi-center study demonstrated the safety and feasibility of robotic-enhanced coronary intervention (PCI). We studied the learning curve associated with the robotic PCI approach.

Methods: The CorPath 200 robotic system was used to perform clinically indicated PCI. The first 3 cases performed by each interventional cardiologist were considered early-experience cases and subsequent procedures were regarded as advanced-experience cases. We compared procedure efficiency, patient radiation exposure, and clinical outcomes in early and advanced-experience cases.

Results: A total of 164 robotic-enhanced PCI procedures were performed, with 60 early-experience cases. Advanced-experience cases were associated with shorter procedure duration (51.3 ± 25.5 min vs. 42.2 ± 16.4 min, P = 0.008) and fluoroscopy time (12.9 ± 7.8 min vs. 10.1 ± 4.8 min, 0.009) as compared to early-experience cases.

Conclusions: After performing 3 cases, interventionalists were able to complete robotic-enhanced PCI faster, with reduced radiation, and without compromising safety. The steep learning curve highlights the easy adoption of remote-control robotic technology for PCI.

Keywords::

• Robotic-enhanced
• robotics
• remote-control
• percutaneous coronary intervention
• radiation exposure
• contrast media
• learning curve

Declaration of interest: Giora Weisz is a consultant to Corindus, Phillips, Infraredx, AngioSlide, and Bloxr.

The rest of the authors do not have any financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with one or more organizations that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest in the context of the subject of this article. The PRECISE study was sponsored by Corindus Inc., but the current sub-analysis was performed independently by the authors.