A Pionner; F. Mason Sones, Jr

Mason Sones (1918-1985) was an American physician whose pioneering work in cardiac catheterization was instrumental in the development of coronary angiography based on which coronary bypass surgery was later developed.

Sones received his M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1943.  From 1944 to 1946, he served in the US Air Corp in the Pacific.  Sones did his residency at Henry Ford Hospital and later joined the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1950.

On October 30, 1958 while he was performing an angiogram of the ascending aorta the catheter inadvertently slipped in the right coronary artery.  Although it was attempted, the catheter was not withdrawn, thus a large amount of contrast was injected into the artery.  The patient's heart went into asystole but when the patient coughed as instructed the heart started beating again.

From this experience, Sones realized that smaller amounts of contrast media could safely injected in the coronary arteries an invention that resulted in a diagnostic method that revolutionized cardiology.  With the advent of coronary angiography, cardiologists for the first time, could accurately map stenoses or occlusions in the coronary circulation.  In 1967 a cardiac surgeon, Rene Favaloro, performed the first coronary bypass at the Cleveland Clinic.  it was Favaloro who called Sones "the most important contributor to modern cardiology."

Sones received numerous awards during his career.  He was one of the founders of the Society of Cardiac Angiography (now known as the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions) and served as the first President of the new society. 

This post is dedicated to Dr. Harisios Boudoulas a cardiologist who established the division of non-invasive cardiology at the Ohio State Medial Center.  Dr.Boudoulas pioneered the study of diseases of the heart and the aorta. Professor Boudoulas was the Distinguished Research Investigator Division of the Academy of Athens. 

Rotational Angiography in the study of Congenital Cardiac Anomalies in Children

A study by Parini et al published in Pediatric Cardiology. reports on the use of Rotational angiography (RA) for evaluating congenital heart disease (CHD) in the cardiac cath lab, permits acquisition of 3D datasets with superior spatial resolution.  The authors describe five cases on whom they created 3D-printed hearts in patients with CHD.

Diagnoses included coronary artery aneurysm, Glenn shunt, coarctation of the aorta, tetralogy of Fallot with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs), and pulmonary artery stenosis. There was no significant measurement difference between RA and the printed model (r = 0.990, p < 0.01). There was also no significant inter-observer variability. 

The authors concluded that RA could generate highly accurate 3D models in congenital heart disease.  These models can be useful in patient evaluation and management.