Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare - 53

6 Ways We Can Help
From cardiac catheterization to angioplasty to implantation of defibrillators, some additional advanced diagnostic
and treatment procedures currently being performed in the
St. Catherine Hospital cath lab include:

1
Cardiologists Pastor Llobet, MD, and Samer Abbas, MD, are
part of St. Catherine's experienced team providing high-level
diagnostics and interventional cardiology procedures to patients.

The expanded cath lab with ﬁve additional holding areas, a cath lab suite and the latest diagnostic
equipment, allows physicians and staff to continue
providing high-level diagnostic and interventional
cardiology procedures to patients. The new space
also features advanced peripheral vascular procedural capabilities for urgent lifesaving procedures as
well as scheduled life enhancing interventions.
"The cath lab expansion project ensures that we
can continue performing routine cardiac procedures
and address emergencies simultaneously without
delay," says Pastor Ramon Llobet, MD, Community
Care Network cardiologist. "Both of these aspects
are critical in delivering the best cardiac care to
our patients."
Cardiac catheterizations at St. Catherine Hospital
help cardiologists diagnose the severity of blockages in the heart's blood vessels and identify the
best methods of treatment.
Peripheral vascular procedures are performed to
determine the severity of vessel blockages in other
areas of the body such as the abdomen, neck (carotid
artery), arms and legs.
Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Craig Bolda says the
expansion project was designed to better meet the
needs of patients.
"The decision to expand the cardiac program was
in response to the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease within the community we serve," Bolda
says. "The layout and design of the new space aims
to make patients more comfortable while undergoing
cardiac procedures and the newly installed technology will assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of advanced heart disease."

Coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a device that
utilizes sound waves to assist in evaluating heart arteries.
A small catheter is advanced into an artery, where images are
taken from within to better define the blockages.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a technique used in coronary catheterization to measure pressure differences
across a narrowed or blocked artery, usually due to coronary
artery disease, to determine the likelihood that the narrowing
is compromising blood flow to the heart muscle.

Peripheral angiography and angioplasty is a procedure
that examines arteries of the legs, kidneys and upper body
for diagnosis and treatment, helping increase the blood flow
where needed.

The Ocelot Catheter uses optical coherence tomography,
allowing physicians to view images of complicated blockages at an advanced level during the actual procedure

The EKOS System is used to treat blood clots. EKOS ultrasound technology uses sophisticated acoustic conditioning, making it possible to dissolve blood clots quickly and safely,
saving lives immediately.

The Impella device involves a minimally invasive procedure for those high-risk interventions especially in older
patients with multiple complications.

"We are extremely excited that this caliber of cath
lab has been built at our hospital," says Gonzalez.
"The new cath lab procedure rooms are equipped
with state-of-the-art digital imaging systems that
have consistently been one of the highest rated systems on the market. To go along with this latest
technology, the cath lab has a highly experienced,
dedicated staff to care for patients 24 hours a day,
seven days a week."
SUM MER 2014

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare

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