Chest pain can be serious and should never be ignored, especially if the sensation is new or unexplained. This can be a warning sign of cardiac function complications. Reduced blood flow to the heart is often described as a squeezing, pressure, heavy, tight or painful sensation. If left untreated, this could lead to a heart attack, a health event that requires fast, accurate intervention.
Any signs of heart complications should prompt a trip to the emergency room, especially for severe, persistent, prolonged or sudden pain or discomfort. People affected by cardiovascular conditions and diseases may need further diagnosis. Cardiac catheterization can be used to find problems and to treat and address issues with heart function. In the procedure, interventional cardiology specialists use a thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin or arm, and is carefully guided to the heart using X-ray technology to visualize problems like blockages in blood vessels and blood flow.
A typical scenario requiring the procedure unfolded at Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira recently.
“We had a patient come in with chest pain and we performed a stress test, which was abnormal. We then brought him to our new cardiac cath lab to look at the pictures of his coronary arteries,” said Dr. Kanwar Gill, interventional cardiologist at Arnot Health.
A newly renovated, advanced, low-dose radiation cardiac catheterization lab is also open and running at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca. The upgraded space is one of many initiatives made by the hospital system to meet the growing cardiovascular needs in the Southern Tier, joining Arnot Health’s efforts to increase access to high quality treatment for heart patients. The upgraded spaces at both systems allow providers to diagnose and address heart and blood vessel problems with even greater accuracy.
“This equipment is top of the line to do cardiac catheterization and intervention and helps our patients obtain their greatest health,” said Dr. Malcolm Brand, director of cardiac devices at the Cayuga Heart Institute at Cayuga Medical Center.
With the help of better imaging, doctors can easily pinpoint the cause of a cardiac event. The labs are equipped with high resolution monitors, giving providers a clear look at the health issues that bring patients to the exam table.
“The screens with which we look at the information are state-of-the-art. It’s visually better to understand what’s going on and treat the patient,” Dr. Brand said.
This allows cardiologists to improve patient outcomes and procedural efficiency while lowering risks associated with imaging.
“The amount of radiation that is used is significantly less, so that’s safer for the patient and the practitioners,” Dr. Brand said.
Cardiac catheterizations go relatively quickly, typically taking between 30 and 60 minutes. Dr. Gill says it’s important to note that preparation and recovery time can take several hours. Most patients go home the same day, but some may need to stay overnight to be monitored.
Malcolm Brand, MD is the director of cardiac devices at the Cayuga Heart Institute at Cayuga Medical Center. He completed his medical education at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and his residency and fellowship at theUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School. He joined Cayuga Medical Center’s medical staff in 2001 to serve as medical director of the new Cardiac Catheterization Program, which was initiated that same year. Dr. Brand can be reached at Cayuga Heart and Vascular at (607) 272-0460 with offices in Ithaca at Cayuga Medical Center, 201 Dates Drive, Suite 101 and 40 Catherwood Drive, and in Montour Falls at Schuyler Hospital, 220 Steuben Street.
Kanwar Iqbal Singh Gill, MD is an interventional cardiologist at Arnot Health Cardiology. He completed his medical education at Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences in India and his fellowships in Interventional Cardiovascular and Peripheral Fellowship at Stony Brook University Medical Center, and Cardiology Fellowship at Mount Sinai Heart Institute in Manhattan. Dr. Gill can be reached at 607-737-4333, with offices in Elmira at Arnot Ogden Medical Center, 600 Roe Avenue, and Bath at Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, 7571 State Road 54.
Members of the editorial and news staff of USA TODAY Network were not involved in the creation of this content.
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