Saint Peter’s expertly performs cardiac catheterization; peripheral vascular angiograms; angioplasties to open clogged arteries in the arms, kidneys and legs; and pacemaker implantation.
The Cardiac Catheterization Lab is in located in the Center for Ambulatory Resources (CARES). The lab is outfitted for doctors to perform procedures such as cardiac catheterization; peripheral vascular angiograms; angioplasties to open clogged arteries in the arms, kidneys and legs; and pacemaker implantation.
The laboratory is unique for both its aesthetic decor and patient care philosophy. Natural design elements, which include a waterfall and Colorado River rocks embedded in the walls, create a special atmosphere to help minimize stress. The spacious waiting area and seven private recovery rooms provide comfortable, home-like surroundings for patients and their families.
The centerpiece of the facility is a spacious procedure suite with an advanced digital scanner that uses minimal radiation to capture crystal clear images. A robotic arm administers the contrast material that makes it possible to see the images. High-resolution monitors show "living" pictures of the arteries and beating heart. Thanks to a streamlined reporting system, patients receive their results before being discharged that same day, and results can be reviewed with the cardiologist on computer screens located in each private recovery room.
Emergency Angioplasty
Every second counts once a heart attack has begun. A lifesaving procedure known as emergency angioplasty is available to patients who arrive in Saint Peter’s emergency room in the throes of a heart attack. Our team of highly experienced, board-certified interventional cardiologists opens life-threatening coronary blockages and restores normal blood flow to the heart.
Studies have shown that emergency angioplasty leads to superior survival rates and that the amount of time it takes for an individual to receive treatment is the most significant predictor of survival. Saint Peter's is committed to treating individuals who are experiencing a heart attack, within 90 minutes of their arrival in our emergency room. Patients who receive emergency angioplasty within this time frame can experience less heart muscle damage, faster recovery time and an improved quality of life.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
Peripheral artery disease is often an early indicator of future heart attack and stroke. Left untreated, it also can lead to limb amputation. But if diagnosed early, it can often be remedied through diet and exercise.
PAD is a restriction of blood flow to the limbs commonly caused by atherosclerosis, the clogging of arteries by sticky, fatty plaques. These plaques can cause blood to clot until an artery is entirely blocked, potentially starving the brain or heart of life-giving oxygen.
Because PAD restricts blood flow to the arms and legs, symptoms include numbness or aching in your muscles, a persistent coolness in your limbs, or a sudden pain while walking or climbing stairs that disappears with rest and cold extremities due to muscles being starved of essential oxygen.
In advanced cases, patients can have pain in their arms and legs even while resting—pain intense enough to prevent sleep. Injured limbs heal slowly because the flow of nourishing blood is reduced. If left untreated, patients can develop gangrene, which in turn can lead to amputation. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, PAD is the leading cause of leg amputation.
It is important to remember, however, that PAD does not always cause symptoms. In fact, about half of people with the disease experience no symptoms at all.