In the News

Grand Opening for New Cath Lab in Harlingen;
Performs Life-Saving Procedures

HARLINGEN, March 27, 2006  – Valley heart patients are benefiting from a new state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory which will hold a grand opening on the second floor of Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen on Monday, April 10, 2006. The grand opening celebration will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 10, with a ribbon-cutting at 4:30 p.m.

The new area dedicated for life-saving heart procedures is three times larger than VBMC-Harlingen’s previous Catheterization Laboratory, and utilizes an increased arsenal of high-tech tools in the fight against heart disease.

“We’re really excited about the new area,” said David Beck, RN, Nursing Supervisor for VBMC-Harlingen’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. “It is significantly larger and it is a state of-the-art cath lab staffed by specialized professional staff.”

The new laboratory features three large, fully-functional rooms for catheterization procedures, with the shell of a fourth room which can be added in the future as necessary. There is also a 12-bed Cath Lab Recovery Room and a consultation room.

“This is more convenient because the Cath Lab Recovery Area is in the same area,” Mr. Beck noted. “This provides a smoother transition for patients and their families.”

The expansion from two to three labs allows the Catheterization Laboratory to have a specified cardiac room (focusing on procedures involving blood vessels near the heart itself); a peripheral room (which focuses on blockages of the blood vessels in the legs, etc.); and a specialized lab for electrophysiological studies of the heart. However, all three of the rooms are equipped to perform catheterizations of the heart as needed.

The new peripheral lab includes a new generation camera and screen that provides better images while reducing the amount of radiation required. The extra lab also decreases wait times and is more convenient for patients’ physicians.

Parker MacDonald, RN, Clinical Supervisor for the Catheterization Laboratory, said the expanded area enables the Cath Lab to “deal with a greater volume of patients at once, so we can serve our growing community in a more timely manner.”

In addition to the expanded space, the Valley Baptist Cath Lab now gives physicians more of the latest tools for catheterization procedures, including laser, the “SilverHawk” rotational athrectomy device, and the Angiojet device.

The SilverHawk, used for peripheral procedures, enables physicians to better open blocked arteries in the legs. The cardiologist inserts a small hollow tube, or catheter, through a blood vessel in the patient’s leg. The catheter is directed toward the blood vessel in the leg where the blockage is located. The SilverHawk is then activated; it is a tiny, spinning blade that actually cuts and shaves the fat or plaque out of the arteries. The plaque is then pushed into the cone tip of the device, and removed from the patient’s body.

Patients need only local anesthesia for the procedure. The SilverHawk is considered a good alternative to stents and bypass surgery in certain patients. Once the patient’s blood is flowing again, the circulation helps their wounds to heal -- enabling many patients to walk without pain once again.

“Some patients who think that they have arthritis actually have a lack of blood flow,” Ms. MacDonald said. “This can save the leg from being amputated and save the patient from being permanently disabled.”

Ms. MacDonald noted that thousands of amputations are performed in the United States every year. “Our goal is to prevent as many of them as possible by utilizing our new labs and the many devices we have,” she said. “Diabetes and coronary artery disease patients are particularly at risk for amputation of the toes, feet, or legs.”

The Excimer Laser is another modality that can be used in the Cath Lab with only local anesthesia. Instead of cutting plaque out of the blood vessel, the laser sends burst of light to vaporize the plaque. The laser is often used with smaller arteries, or if the arteries are very clogged.

A third catheter-based intervention, the Angiojet, is designed to “vaccum” a blood clot right out of a specific type of problem site.

The Cath Lab also still has balloon angioplasty, which has been used since the 1980’s, but the SilverHawk, laser and Angiojet are among the newest methods of treating heart disease.

For more information on heart disease diagnosis and treatment, please consult your physician.