Title: Echoes: Innovative live long distance cardiac diagnostic tools

Biography:

Dr Najeebullah Bina, a cardiac surgeon graduated from Kabul Medical University and trained in France in this field, has been developing paediatric cardiac surgery at the French Medical Institute for Children in Kabul since its opening. In 2008, he performed the first cardiac surgical procedure with a team made up of only Afghan staff. He is currently Head of the cardiac programme and carries out about 300 surgeries every year on children and adults.

Abstract

Congenital and acquired heart diseases are the primary cause of death in children and young adults year after year around the world. Two million patients are diagnosed each year with the simplest and non-invasive tool, Echocardiography. 

The invention of Echo machines in 1950s and later the developing curve in 1970s by Swedish doctors and engineers, helped the medicine to save the life of millions of patients.

Echocardiography has become routinely used in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with any suspected or known heart diseases. It is one of the most widely used diagnostic tests in cardiology, cardiac surgery and cardiac anesthesia. An excellent diagnosis of congenital and acquired heart disease is the first step for an inclusive correction of pathology and of course the prognosis.

Long distance live Echocardiography, is a new diagnostic tool, created and developed recently by La Chaine d’Espoir known as ‘echoes’. The first live sessions were done in February 2015. There are two main objective behind this project: Training and capacity building of teams, second opinion and discussion for the selection of type of management.

The main appliance of action is the connection between the experts from one side and the patient and cardiac team in another side through Live-Streaming, the images are transferred live and directly from the echo-machine, and 2 extra webcams fixed:  one on the patient and one fixed on the position of probe to make sure the experts have an excellent information in forward-facing them.  The live verbal conversation between to two sides is vital which the case in our method. Three things are important for the success: Technical implantation, Internet Boundaries, experienced hands for performing Echocardiography.

The project took place immediately after the first opening sessions between FMIC cardiac services and CDE headquarters in Paris, France.

Since then until we had a more clear vision for 861 patients, on diagnostic, second opinion and surgical indications.  All patients went under surgical correction in FMIC, Kabul.