FOR YOUR HEALTH: University Hospitals Samaritan upgrades cath lab
A catheterization laboratory, commonly referred to as a cath lab, is a procedural room in a hospital or clinic with diagnostic imaging equipment used to visualize the arteries during procedures. Cath labs house procedural machines that assists in the imaging processes during heart catheterizations and other cardiac procedures like pace maker placement, or placement of filters for blood clots.
PREVIOUS FOR YOUR HEALTH COLUMNGastroesophageal reflux disease: more than just heartburn
The cath lab at UH Samaritan was built back in 2002 and the equipment was all original to the opening of this department. Recently, there were upgrades made in order to provide better images during procedures with less radiation exposure for both patients and staff. These changes will improve patient outcomes and patient safety. The cath lab at UH Samaritan was able to install a Philips Azurion system. Images from the Azurion system show on a large screen so doctors have a high quality view as they complete each procedure.
Currently, UH Samaritan is a Level 1 cath lab, which means we are a diagnostic cath lab. These types of catheterizations are normally done for clearance for more complicated procedures or patients that have a low risk for any blockage in the heart. UH Samaritans cath lab allows Dr. Yulanka Castro- Dominguez, MD, a UH Samaritan cardiologist, to perform procedures on vessels on both the right and left sides of the heart. Dr. Castro also uses the new technology to place stents to open the vessels in the legs allowing the patients to get better blood flow to their lower extremities.
With the upgrades to the cath lab we can now offer electrophysiology treatment, or EP, at UH Samaritan. Dr. Shashank Jain, MD, a cardiologist who specializes in electrophysiology uses the cath lab for these procedures. EP has to do with the function of the electrical system within the heart. Dr. Jain uses EP treatment for patients with conditions like atrial fibrillation and other conditions that affect the electrical function of the heart. Dr. Jain will use the new technologies to implant pace makers that help maintain regular electrical activity in the heart and loop recorders, a device that records the information about the electrical activity in the heart.
Dr. Young, DO, a nephrologist and intensive care doctor at UH Samaritan, will also utilize the upgrades to the cath lab. Dr. Young uses the cath lab and its new technologies to place dialysis catheters in patients who need dialysis treatment because their kidneys can no longer effectively filter toxins from their blood.
New technologies a great resource for the community
What does having this upgraded cath lab mean to the Ashland community and those who have access to UH Samaritan? According to Jordan Repp, RN, the cath lab clinical coordinator at UH Samaritan, the new technologies are a great resource for our local community and surrounding areas. It will provide a chance for our patients to get the best care and treatment that University Hospitals has to offer while staying close to home. Folks will have fewer transportation concerns and less worry about the need for transfer to other hospitals because they can receive the treatment they need right at UH Samaritan.
What are the long-term goals for the cath lab at UH Samaritan? The future is bright here at UH Samarian Medical Center, says Jordan. Like previously mentioned, UH Samaritan is a level 1 cath lab, we are working toward becoming a level 2 cath lab. This means that we will be able to perform catheterizations to place stents inside the arteries of the heart to eliminate blockages. As a level 2 cath lab, when a patient comes in having a heart attack we will be able to treat these patients here and not have to transfer them. Time is muscle, which means the faster we can get them to the cath lab and open up the blockage the better the heart is going to respond. Clearly, this goal will be beneficial to people with access to UH Samaritan Medical Center.
Join us on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. for an open house to celebrate the cath lab upgrades at University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center. You will have the chance to tour the cath lab, learn about the new technologies and services provided, as well as meet the doctors who will utilize the new state of the art equipment during procedures.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: FOR YOUR HEALTH: University Hospitals Samaritan upgrades cath lab
