Carestream Supports EVAR Training in Scotland

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, April 10 — Carestream is helping to develop the Vascular Surgeons of tomorrow at a training course in Scotland. Students on the Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) Planning and Deployment course at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh are using the Carestream v12.1 PACS solution to gain important hands-on experience.

Carestream’s embedded 3D and Vessel Analysis tools enable students to view and manipulate CT Vascular Exams as part of their practical training. Students attending the course include Endovascular Surgical trainees and consultants, and Interventional Radiology trainees and consultants with an interest in EVAR. As Carestream is the current National PACS provider across NHS Scotland, its software is often familiar to those using it on the course.

Course convener for the EVAR planning and deployment course, David R. Lewis was appointed as a consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon at The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in 2011. He said: “Carestream has been fundamental to this course for three years now. We couldn't run the course without the goodwill of industry. The feedback about Carestream PACS from candidates and the faculty has been universally very positive. The candidates generally comment about how ‘user friendly’ Carestream PACS is. The faculty recognises the functionality of the system for safe and accurate planning of cardiovascular cases.”

EVAR has become an established method for the treatment of AAA in Vascular and Endovascular units worldwide. By requiring keyhole surgery instead of major open surgery, it can reduce patient hospital stays and recovery times.

Using Carestream’s technology, students assess anonymised CT images of patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to determine their suitability for EVAR. They manipulate CT images and take measurements to support EVAR planning. They then use simulators to experience the application of EVAR devices and commonly used EVAR grafts.