Applications in the EP Lab: The Odyssey Cinema Studio

In this article we speak with J. Brian DeVille, MD, FACC, FHRS, cardiac electrophysiologist at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, which is the first in the world to implement the new Stereotaxis Epoch^™ platform for use in their EP and cath labs. On December 13, THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano became the first hospital in the world to perform an electrophysiology procedure using the new Epoch^™ platform. THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano is located in Plano, Texas.

Discuss the size of your EP program at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano.

We have four EP labs as well as a multipurpose lab that we share with the cath lab, which can transition into being a cath or EP lab. In addition, in our OR suite we have a hybrid room that is equipped with a Siemens imaging system that can be used for peripheral/vascular and cardiac surgeries, and we’ve done some electrophysiologic procedures in there as well; we also have the Prucka CardioLab (GE Healthcare) and Biosense Webster’s Carto XP in the OR. Of our systems in the EP lab, we have two Biosense Webster Carto 3 systems, including the Carto XP system and St. Jude Medical’s EnSite system. There are approximately 12 electrophysiologists on staff, five or six of whom who are here consistently, so we regularly run three to four rooms on a daily basis.

How long has THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano been using the Odyssey Cinema Studio and the Epoch platform? When were these implemented in the EP lab?

We’ve been using the Stereotaxis Niobe system for a little over two years, but on December 13 we upgraded to the Epoch Platform, performing the world’s first electrophysiology procedure using this advanced computer-controlled, magnetic navigation for catheter control in cardiac ablation procedures. The first procedure ran smoothly and was a success. The new Epoch platform enables electrophysiologists on the medical staff at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano to deliver therapy in a precise manner, while reducing X-ray exposure and procedure time for our patients. It also allows physicians to provide faster, more efficient, quality catheter control with robotic precision. We have been using Odyssey Cinema Studio for approximately a month, and we use it for archiving our cases for teaching purposes, as an EP solution as well as for the cath and interventional labs. Eventually we will have it installed in the operating room so we can do webcasting and recording from the OR, the EP lab, or the cath lab. The installation of the Odyssey Cinema Studio put in the infrastructure and support to upgrade to Epoch.

Tell us more about the new Odyssey investments within your EP program.

The Odyssey system works together for the institution, so we will have separate workstations, and the cath lab, EP, and OR can be networked. It is certainly conceivable that some of our sister facilities may choose to invest in similar systems, and then we can network, so the capability for interaction and collaboration is huge. At this point, the only one in the EP lab is in our Stereotaxis room, where we recently installed and implemented the new Epoch system. Installations for the Odyssey system are planned for the cath lab and OR as well.

Describe your experience using the Odyssey Cinema Studio.

The Odyssey Cinema Studio has allowed us to record and archive all the cases that we perform, in the room in which it is installed. Thus, we have been able to take interesting cases and make videos and teaching presentations using editing software. Our facility is using this system as the audio-visual solution for the institution, and in fact, one of our cardiologists who performs peripheral/vascular interventions recently used the system to conduct an in-house training session for about 50 attendees, which was very successful and well-received.

Have you had the opportunity to utilize the Odyssey solution for real-time collaboration with remote facilities?

We have not at this point, although that is certainly something on our radar that we wish to pursue in our near future once we have our system integrated with the people in our system network. However, we certainly hope to collaborate with them on research and clinical issues as well as potentially serve as advisors for other sites that are online.

Any learning curve associated with use of the technology?

Yes, there is a learning curve, as with any new techniques, but it was actually pretty quick. We felt like we were proficient with the new Epoch platform fairly quickly, and Odyssey is intuitively obvious — it does not change the mechanics of the procedure itself, it is an information management and teaching tool, an audio-visual management tool.

How has your program benefited from this technology thus far?

First, it has brought attention to the site; people have been calling and asking about how we’re using it. I also do several teaching courses, and being able to extract video, make teaching slides, and see from multiple visual video inputs, makes it a much richer presentation. For example, instead of showing just a snapshot of an electrogram, I can show a video of how the electrogram is being recorded and at the same time show the intracardiac echo and the three-dimensional Carto map; it allows us to integrate all that in and give a better depiction of the work flow that we’re doing while I’m teaching them. Of the other benefits to the program, there are other things we can do from a vascular standpoint; for example, this system could be employed for sites that are doing coronary intervention without surgical backup, and those images can be transferred over and reviewed by physicians at the tertiary referral center. Therefore, it allows us to collaborate from the vascular side, the EP side, and the cath side.

Interventional physicians want to leverage advanced technology that minimizes surgical risks to the patient while increasing the likelihood of a favorable outcome. With Odyssey Cinema Studio and Epoch Platform in place, we can feel confident that we are providing the best care possible for our patients. That is the true benefit to our program.