Dubrovnik First in Croatia to Use AI for Heart CT Analysis
The Cardioverse system at Dubrovnik General Hospital provides surgeons with critical information about plaque composition in patients' blood vessels during operations.
The Cardioverse system at Dubrovnik General Hospital provides surgeons with critical information about plaque composition in patients' blood vessels during operations.
For the first time, the Cardioverse computer system, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze heart CT scans and provide surgeons with critical information about blood vessel conditions in the operating room, has been used at Dubrovnik General Hospital. The news was reported by HRT Magazine on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
The system works with one team monitoring the computer while another performs the procedure in the operating theater. Cardioverse converts heart CT findings into precise information that can alter the course of the procedure itself, explains Prof. Dr. Josip Lukenda, subspecialist in cardiology at Dubrovnik General Hospital.
"Artificial intelligence is an upgrade to that CT technique, where AI helps us assess the quality of the changes we see in the blood vessels and determine what therapy they need," said Lukenda.
Dr. Pero Markunović, cardiology specialist at Dubrovnik General Hospital, emphasizes how crucial it is to know the type of plaque in a blood vessel.
"It's not the same whether we have calcified plaque on the blood vessels or plaque that is soft and full of fat. If the plaque is soft, there's a higher chance it will rupture and cause a heart attack," warns Markunović.
No finding generated by the computer program is accepted without physician verification, even though artificial intelligence has already proven its immense value in everyday tasks.
Bruno Mihatović, head technician at the Cardiology Department of Dubrovnik General Hospital, stresses that each series of procedures in cardiology and peripheral artery disease brings additional effort and learning for the entire team.
Given that the distance between the Dubrovnik hospital and the nearest clinical center in Split is approximately 230 kilometers, every second is crucial during cardiac procedures. Dr. Jerko Ferri Certić, head of the Cardiology Department, says that Dubrovnik's cardiology, in terms of workload and organization, surpasses a regional general hospital.
"The cardiology department of Dubrovnik General Hospital, in terms of workload and organization, surpasses a regional general hospital. We've been working on all these projects for quite some time, and today we are part of the interventional cardiology network, performing around 500 interventions on blood vessels," stated Ferri Certić.
The importance of this team's work is exemplified by the case of patient Mate, whose life was saved by the doctors. He celebrated his 90th birthday on the ward with a celebratory cake.
When the knowledge and effort of doctors are supported by new technologies, the team at Dubrovnik hospital says, years and kilometers become just numbers.
