Aortic surgery guidelines 1.8

The Aorta application was developed through a collaborative effort involving renowned Consultant Cardiac Surgeons Yoan Lamarche, MD, FRCSC, Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD, PhD, FRCSC, and Philippe Demers, MD, FRCSC from the Montreal Heart Institute in conjunction with SolidByte Inc., an app development company. The project received support through a development grant from the Department of Surgery at the Université de Montréal.

Aorta offers a streamlined approach to clinical decision-making by integrating guideline-based recommendations into a user-friendly interface. The app simplifies data entry through a series of straightforward prompts; once the relevant patient information is provided, it synthesizes the data to determine whether surgical intervention is indicated according to guidelines from the AHA, AATS, ACC, CCS, and ESC.

Description

Aorta functions as a comprehensive yet accessible decision support tool for individualized assessment of aortic surgical indications. It aims to assist clinicians managing patients with various aortic pathologies by delivering patient-specific recommendations grounded in internationally recognized guidelines.

Designed to support nuanced clinical judgment, Aorta serves as an essential reference for “grey area” decisions regarding surgical intervention. It consolidates complex guideline criteria into an intuitive format, enhancing decision accuracy and confidence.

Key Features

• Guides clinicians through essential questions relevant to case-specific decision-making
• Provides clear, actionable recommendations based on entered patient data

Operational Overview

The app’s workflow is straightforward: users input key patient details—such as ascending aorta size or root aneurysm dimensions—into a structured form. Upon submission, the application analyzes the provided data against guideline criteria and displays tailored recommendations. These may range from endorsing surgical repair to recommending careful monitoring based on factors like aneurysm size or family history of dissection. All recommendations are situated within the context of the latest guidance from AHA, ACC, AATS, STS, CCS, and ESC guidelines for aortic disease management.