When it comes to heart disease, especially coronary artery disease, you really want expert cardiologists with high-volume experience and exemplary proven track record of clinical excellence. Dr Chai is an award-winning cardiologist and expert interventionalist specialising in complex coronary intervention (PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention, or stent implantation). He routinely performs 200-250 PCIs procedures per annum.
Just this year, even with the additional effect of COVID-19, Dr Chai performed more than 200 PCIs, with 20 emergency out-of-hours primary PCI for heart attack patients, another 20 successful disobliteration PCIs of chronic total occlusions (CTO), and a further 24 of the most complex and high-risk unprotected left mainstem PCIs from patients deemed too risky to have open-heart surgery.
This gentleman in his 80s with severe multi-vessel calcific coronary disease was recently treated by Dr Chai.
Elderly man in 80s with heavily calcified vessels involving multiple bifurcations. Heart Team felt CABG too high risk. This is how this #DoubleRotablationDoubleBifurcationPCI unfolded 😄#WexhamCardiology #PCIcases #RadialFirst #cardiotwitter @nav4879 @PatriciaRigunay @OzmaAshiq pic.twitter.com/aWBg9wP7IH
— Joshua Chai (@DrJoshuaChai) November 12, 2020
At the end of the day, what would you want for your family? Would you want it done by a guy who does two a year or somebody who does 20 a year?
In 2016, a study from China already suggested that operator volume is an important variable to consider when seeking to optimise clinical outcomes after left mainstemt PCI. Earlier this year, researchers at University of Wales reported a new analysis from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) national database at CRT 2020. It further confirmed that patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease treated by high-volume operators have better clinical outcomes, including fewer major adverse cardiovascular events and improved survival, than those treated by low-volume operators
When compared with the lowest-volume operators, the adjusted risk of death at 1 year was nearly half (46% lower) in patients treated by interventionalists who performed an average of 21 left main PCIs each year (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.39-0.73).
Therefore, do not pick just any cardiologist for your heart, pick one with a proven track record of clinical excellence and volume of experience in how to safely treat complex heart conditions.
Follow Dr Chai on Twitter @DrJoshuaChai to see his exciting clinical cases.