Mercy Memorial Hospital System announces the opening of the new Cardiac Catheterization/Interventional Procedures Lab which features the Artis zee® angiography system that provides physicians with highly detailed images of patient’s blood vessels during diagnostic and treatment procedures which represents the best in class technology.

With the opening of the Cardiac Catheterization/Interventional Procedures Lab, the hospital has added and patients have access to a number of new specialists on staff, including cardiologists, vascular surgeons and electrophysiologists. In addition to expanding services, the lab creates better access to care for community members, who previously had to drive at least 30 miles to receive these types of procedures.

“The new cardiac catheterization/interventional lab is evidence of our commitment to providing the highest level of care safely to the community,” said Annette Phillips, FACHE, President and CEO of Mercy Memorial Hospital System. 

The Cardiac Catheterization/Interventional Procedures Lab represents a $3.4 million investment in the hospital. The lab is over 4,000 square feet with one lab and five prep/recovery areas for patients.

Many new physicians and staff members have been recruited for this new service to complement the existing providers.

“We have recruited highly trained staff who have over 65 years of combined experience performing the interventional procedures,” Phillips said. “The staff, together with our existing physicians and new physicians, create an exceptional clinical team who are highly skilled.  We are all very proud to offer the Monroe community these long-awaited clinical procedures.”

Developed by Siemens Medical Solutions, the fully digital Artis zee® features advanced technology in the form of flat-panel detectors, which enable physicians to obtain three-dimensional images in high resolution, without the distortion common with conventional x-ray techniques. The flat detectors, made of amorphous silicon, not only enable physicians to visualize fine blood vessels, it also helps physicians visualize interventional devices, such as guidewires, catheters and stents in precise detail and from almost any angle.

The ergonomic design of the system also eliminates time-consuming and uncomfortable repositioning of the patient in the exam room, making the procedure faster and less stressful for the patient. The memory foam on the exam table makes it much more comfortable for patients during procedures. During interventions, the compact flat-panel detector technology enables virtually all anatomical regions to be easily imaged. System functions can be performed via an intuitive tableside touch-screen display. This enables full system control, and leads to improved confidence during the procedure. 

The lab currently is able to provide many cardiac, vascular and interventional radiology procedures with additional services being provided in the future.

The lab is under the direction of Sandra White, director of cardiovascular services and Joseph Dolce, R.N., interventional specialist.