Heart disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide, which means the demands on cardiology departments have never been greater. The interventional cardiology campaign “Close to the heart” shows an understanding about interventional cardiologists and their passion. It shows how innovation can help cardiology departments deliver exceptional heart care to patients.
“Close to the heart” shares a remarkable story.
Qaisra Yasmin Saeed, M.D., is an interventional cardiologist based in Millburn, New Jersey. Her love of helping patients and her love of climbing mountains – both activities filled with challenges and triumphs – can serve as an inspiration.
Saeed’s journey into cardiology began early on.
“My decision to pursue cardiology happened during my time in medical school. Initially, I wasn’t sure what field I wanted to specialize in. However, as I delved deeper into the study of cardiology, I found it to be a fascinating and dynamic field that really captured my interest,” she recalls.
Her passion for mountain climbing, on the other hand, was sparked much later.
“Growing up, I wasn’t particularly athletic. My parents emphasized studies and education. However, when my son took up taekwondo, I joined him for the sake of discipline. It was through a friend I met there that I was introduced to climbing,” she shares. Her most recent climb was to the summit of Mount Everest.
The parallels between her profession and her passion for climbing are striking.
“Both require seeing an objective, planning it out, and being prepared. In cardiology, you assess the lesion, gather your equipment, make a plan, and then implement it. It’s the same with climbing. I study the route, figure out the elevations, estimate the hours needed, plan it all out, train for it, and then execute the plan. Both pursuits demand a similar mindset and approach,” she observes.
While not in a position to help with her climbing, Philips is committed to make planning and executing the life-saving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures, like those Saeed performs in her cath lab on a daily basis, as easy and effective as possible. The Philips Azurion allows interventionists to control the real-time imaging and information display needed during a PCI from a touchscreen alongside the patient table, enabling them to make faster, better-informed decisions.
Deployed on the Azurion Platform, the Dynamic Coronary Roadmap is a navigation technology that creates a motion-compensated, real-time view of coronary arteries. It has been shown to reduce the need for contrast agent by 28.8 percent, reducing the risk of contrast agent induced acute kidney injury in susceptible patients. The company’s intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, another innovation in vascular imaging, provides detailed images from within the patient’s blood vessels to tailor and adjust PCI procedures in real time.
These solutions address the clinical challenges that interventionists like Saeed face. They also address the organizational challenges that today’s cardiology departments face. Patient volumes continue to increase, financial constraints remain a significant concern and health systems face issues due to ongoing staffing problems. The recruitment and retention of staff pose a challenge, with health care job openings reaching an all-time high. Saeed, like many other health care professionals, also has to navigate those challenges.
Saeed’s climbing experience and her success as a cardiologist are testament to the fact that challenging boundaries and going beyond personal limits can teach valuable lessons.
“It’s very rewarding to take care of someone in the hospital who’s really sick, like someone who comes in with a heart attack, and then see them recover. I enjoy giving people the opportunity to live their life the way they want to, whether that’s watching their friends graduate or achieving their goals,” she says.
