SPY Imaging in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Improving the Quality of Heart Bypass Surgery

Each year, more than 300,000 patients in the United States (U.S.) are treated for multivessel coronary disease with open-heart surgery, or Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG - pronounced "cabbage"). Over the past 40 years, technical advancements have enabled cardiac surgeons performing bypass surgery to reduce the risk of death in CABG to a rate of less than 1.5%. This is an amazing accomplishment and, CABG is now considered to be a very safe operation.

Although the risk of death in CABG is extremely low, certain risk factors such as advanced age, obesity, diabetes and others, can increase the risk of  post-operative complications for certain patients. Post-operative complications may at times, lead to prolong hospital stays, require reoperations or readmissions.Complications can certainly delay returns to normal levels of activity which can be frustrating and costly for patients and their families. Today, cardiac surgeons are focusing the same or greater amount of effort that resulted in reducing the risk of death in CABG, towards reducing the risks of costly and life altering complications.

The use of SPY imaging during heart bypass surgery is one way cardiac surgeons are reducing the potential for post-operative complications. SPY imaging allows surgeons to evaluate whether bypass grafts are functioning and providing adequate blood flow to the heart muscle within minutes during CABG procedures. Surgeons report, and clinical studies have confirmed, that the use of SPY provides accurate information that can enable surgeons to make better informed decisions while performing procedures such as CABG while still in the operating room. Studies have also clearly shown that the use of SPY during CABG can reduce costly post-operative complications, the need for prolonged ICU time, return to surgery and overall length of hospital stays compared to CABG surgery not involving SPY.     

In a recent report, Dr. T. Bruce Ferguson, of the East Carolina Heart Institute and a leading expert on quality in cardiac surgery said, "It is not at all surprising that the presence of the SPY intra-operative imaging system in the operating room might be expected to improve the overall quality of outcomes in CABG as it enables surgeons to perform the best possible procedure for each individual patient."

SPY has been used in more than 15,000 CABG surgeries.  SPY is currently installed in more than 100 U.S. hosptials. SPY is also cleared by the FDA for use in cardiovascular, plastic reconstructive and organ transplant surgeries. 

The questions and answers below may help you to better understand SPY Imaging, how it is used during bypass surgery and why it is important to ask your surgeon about SPY imaging.

Frequently asked Questions and Answers

Q: What is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?

A: Each year, more than 300,000 patients in the United States undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, the most common open-heart procedure in the country.  CABG surgery is performed when blood flow to the heart is reduced or blocked. The operation involves taking a portion of a blood vessel, or graft, from somewhere else in the body, and attaching it to a narrowed or blocked coronary artery in an effort to restore blood supply to the heart muscle.

Q: How Does SPY Imaging Help Improve the Quality of Heart Bypass?

A: Although bypass surgery has been performed for more than 40 years, and is considered to be safe, there is always concern about potential complications following CABG surgery.  Cardiac surgeons are committed to performing the highest quality procedure possible, and by using the SPY imaging system during the procedure, they are able to evaluate the quality of the bypass immediately upon completion of the graft to determine whether adequate blood is being delivered to the heart. This valuable information can potentially reduce complications that otherwise may not be detected.  The use of SPY provides visual guidance to help surgeons perform an improved, safer operation for their patients.

Q: Does SPY Imaging Affect My Recovery?

A: Some studies have shown that intra-operative imaging may lead to improved outcomes that may also improve recovery times and can lead to shorter hospital stays.

Q: Who Performs SPY Imaging?

A: Your cardiac surgeon will position the SPY imaging head over your heart during your bypass operation.  The fluorescent imaging agent is administered, and images of your heart are immediately displayed and recorded for the team to review.

Q: Which Hospitals are Performing SPY Imaging for Heart Bypass?

A: The number of cardiac surgeons using SPY Imaging for heart bypass operations continues to grow.  Today, there are more than 100 U.S. hospitals using SPY. Please see our “SPY Locator” on this website to learn about a center near you.