North Staffordshire research helps improve Heart Surgery safety
North Staffordshire researchers used a major £249,983 grant from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute (NSMI) to investigate how large-scale patient data could make coronary stent procedures safer and improve outcomes for patients.
The research programme, led by Professor Mamas Mamas, analysed millions of local, national and international health records to better understand why complications occur and identify the safest approaches to treatment.
Based at Keele University, the work demonstrated the growing potential of large healthcare datasets to improve clinical decision-making and patient care.
Improving the safety of Coronary Stent procedures
Coronary stents are small wire-mesh tubes inserted into narrowed or blocked arteries to help restore blood flow to the heart.
They are commonly used to treat patients following a heart attack or those experiencing symptoms such as angina.
Although the procedure is widely performed, complications can occur. These can range from bleeding and bruising to more serious events such as heart attack or stroke.
Professor Mamas and his team aimed to understand these risks in greater detail and identify the approaches associated with the best outcomes.
Using millions of patient records
The project made extensive use of what is often described as “big data” – very large collections of healthcare information that allow researchers to identify patterns that may be difficult to detect in smaller clinical studies.
By analysing records from hundreds of thousands of procedures, the researchers were able to investigate relatively rare complications with greater confidence.
The data also enabled the team to explore how factors such as medication, clinical practice and the way procedures were performed could influence patient outcomes.
This approach provided researchers with a much broader view of coronary intervention than would have been possible using a traditional small-scale study.
Identifying previously underestimated complications
One important finding from the research related to bleeding following coronary procedures.
Analysis of the wider patient journey suggested that post-operative bleeding was considerably more common than had previously been recognised.
The research highlighted the importance of looking beyond a patient's immediate hospital stay and considering what happens after they return home.
Professor Mamas and his team therefore sought to link information held by hospitals with records from community healthcare services, creating a more complete picture of long-term outcomes.
Using data to improve patient care
The research also contributed to greater transparency around the performance of coronary procedures.
Professor Mamas used national data to assess outcomes for doctors carrying out these interventions, helping provide information about procedural safety.
The wider aim was not simply to collect statistics, but to use them to improve the decisions made throughout a patient's treatment journey.
By identifying which patients faced the greatest risks and which approaches produced the strongest outcomes, healthcare professionals could potentially tailor treatment more effectively.
A significant investment in medical research
The project began in 2011 and received £249,983 from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute, representing a significant investment in locally led cardiovascular research.
Funding helped researchers develop a programme with the potential to influence clinical practice well beyond North Staffordshire.
The study demonstrated how charitable investment in medical research can support ambitious projects, enable researchers to work with large-scale healthcare data and generate findings that contribute to safer patient care.
Supporting innovative medical research remains an important part of the work associated with the Wade Charitable Foundation and North Staffordshire Medical Institute.