AdventHealth Hendersonville is First in WNC to Adopts HeartFlow Analysis to Help Patients Experiencing Coronary Artery Disease

N.C., October 27, 2022 — AdventHealth Hendersonville is First in WNC to Adopt HeartFlow Analysis to Help Patients Experiencing Coronary Artery Disease

Oct. 27, 2022; HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – AdventHealth Hendersonville is the first health care facility in Western North Carolina to adopt the HeartFlow Analysis, a first-of-its-kind non-invasive technology to aid physicians in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common form of heart disease.

CAD is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.¹ CAD develops when the arteries leading to the heart narrow or become blocked, which may lead to a reduction in blood flow to the heart, causing chest pain, heart attacks and death. Despite being the most common form of heart disease, studies have shown there is a need to improve how CAD is evaluated and diagnosed. Many of the non-invasive tests available today have low accuracy rates in detecting CAD. Additionally, a recent study found more than half of patients with suspected CAD who underwent an invasive coronary angiogram (ICA) had no need for intervention, since no blood flow-limiting blockage was found during the procedure.²

In the past, providers at AdventHealth Hendersonville have had to rely on CT coronary exams to see if there is a blockage in the heart and evaluate whether the patient needed a cardiac catheterization (heart cath).

“There are times this study is indeterminate,” explains Kendra Judd, RDMS(AB)(BR), RVT (VT), Manager of Imaging at AdventHealth Hendersonville, “What the HeartFlow Analysis allows us to do in these cases is provide us with a 3D image of the heart showing more precisely if there is a stenosis and the percentage of blockage.”

The HeartFlow Analysis is a personalized cardiac test that uses advanced technology to provide unprecedented visualization of each patient’s coronary arteries. This allows AdventHealth physicians to create more effective treatment plans for their patients.

The HeartFlow Analysis takes data from a patient’s non-invasive coronary CTA and leverages algorithms trained using deep learning (a form of AI) and highly trained analysts to create a personalized, digital 3D model of the patient’s coronary arteries. It then uses powerful computer algorithms to simulate blood flow and assess the impact of blockages on blood flow to the heart. Within hours, the HeartFlow Analysis provides information on the extent of a patient’s arterial blockage and the impact the blockage has on blood flow to the heart.

The HeartFlow Analysis has been used for more than 100,000 patients with suspected heart disease and offers the highest diagnostic accuracy available from a non-invasive test.³ Additionally, in clinical trials, using the HeartFlow Analysis helped identify which patients do and do not need invasive treatment.⁴ The use of the HeartFlow Analysis also reduced the cost of care by 26% compared to usual care.⁵

The HeartFlow Analysis makes cardiac care safer, and more affordable for patients at AdventHealth Hendersonville. They are able to get the critical information they need to save them the risk and cost of additional invasive procedures.

“Now with the HeartFlow Analysis in place, we are able to tell if patients truly need a heart cath or not,” Kendra says, “We’ve had two cases where we had to send studies to the HeartFlow Analysis and in both cases it was determined neither had a stenosis that needed attention. This saved the patients from an unnecessary heart cath, and we were able to keep the patients at AdventHealth.”

To learn more about advanced care technology available at AdventHealth Hendersonville, visit AdventHealthNC.com.