Published: Synapse 2015, Vol 1
Chester County Hospital is upgrading its cath labs, equipping them with state-of-the art technology
When patients experience heart problems, often they will be taken to a cardiac catheterization (cath) lab. This specialized laboratory allows for closer evaluation and treatment of the heart through a catheter or thin flexible tube. The catheter is inserted into a main blood vessel in the groin or arm and threaded into the heart. Through the catheter, a physician injects a special type of dye that will enable the physician to see blockages in the heart by way of X-ray images. With this view of the heart, physicians can conduct tests, take samples, measurements, administer treatments, and perhaps even decide if heart surgery is necessary. Sometimes a stent or small wire cage is threaded into the artery and opened with a small balloon to unblock the artery and hold it open to restore blood flow to or from areas of the heart.
Chester County Hospital recently renovated one cath lab and is in the process of upgrading a second, enhancing them with advanced X-ray equipment for superb clarity of the heart while exposing the patient to minimal radiation. An enhanced digital viewing system allows the linical team to view multiple images of the heart from a number of sources all in one place. And, the clean uncluttered design of the room allows for flexibility to perform multiple types of electrophysiology and cardiovascular procedures.