Preserving healthy blood flow to the heart is essential for cardiovascular health. Cardiac catheterization provides a safe, minimally invasive way to diagnose narrowed arteries and restore blood flow before serious complications develop. That is why we created the Advanced Heart and Vascular Center: our state-of-the-art outpatient cardiac catheterization lab. The first of its kind in our region, the center provides cardiac catheterization procedures to diagnose and treat heart conditions outside of the traditional hospital setting.
What Happens In The Cath Lab
Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure using a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to evaluate blood vessel and heart chamber function. It is often used to check heart valves and find narrowed or blocked arteries and blood vessels. Doctors can often treat the problem during the same procedure. Heart catheterization has a lower risk of complications than open-heart surgery, and it offers quicker recovery times.
How We Restore Blood Flow In The Cath Lab
Cardiac catheterization can be used to locate blockages and perform coronary angioplasty to open the clogged or narrowed artery. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of the procedure.
- Locating The Blockage: The physician inserts a small, hollow tube (catheter) into a blood vessel in the wrist or groin. The catheter is threaded up to the heart. Contrast dye is injected into the tube to visualize exactly where the blockage is located via live X-ray imaging.
- Balloon Angioplasty And Stent Placement: A wire-mesh stent mounted on a deflated balloon is guided through the catheter to the blockage. It is then inflated to compress plaque against the artery wall to restore blood flow. The stent remains in place permanently to prevent the artery from narrowing in the future.
- Completing The Procedure: The balloon is deflated and removed, followed by the catheter. The access site is closed.
The Advanced Heart And Vascular Center Experience
A joint venture between Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists (ACS) and CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier, the Advanced Heart and Vascular Center is North Louisiana’s first physician-managed outpatient cath lab. It is located within the ACS clinic, which is connected to CHRISTUS Highland Hospital. This means that our patients have direct access to a full-service hospital and their team of cardiovascular surgeons in case of an emergency.
Low-risk diagnostic and therapeutic services can be performed at Advanced Heart and Vascular Center by your ACS cardiologist without an overnight stay. In addition to balloon angioplasty and stents, our expert team performs a range of procedures. This includes peripheral angioplasty, pacemaker placement, defibrillator placement and loop recorder implants.
The team at Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists consists of North Louisiana’s leading experts in cardiovascular care. To learn more about the Advanced Heart and Vascular Center or to schedule an appointment with an ACS cardiologist, call (318) 798-9400.
Note: The Advanced Heart and Vascular Center provides scheduled outpatient care. If you are experiencing active chest pain, severe shortness of breath or emergency symptoms, call 911 immediately.