Excellent heart care is close to home. Physicians use the Cardiac Cath Lab to view the arteries and chambers of the heart to diagnose and treat a range of heart conditions. An interventional cardiologist, a heart doctor who has specialized training in minimally invasive procedures, performs a cardiac catherization (cardiac cath).
Through the cardiac cath, the doctor identifies any blockages or abnormalities in your arteries or the chambers of your heart. If a blockage is identified, the physician can perform an angioplasty and stent placement to open the blocked arteries and restore blood flow to the heart.
The Cath Lab is staffed by a specialized heart team, including interventional cardiologists, cardiac nurses, and radiology or cardiovascular technologists. Having the capability to offer this level of heart care at Parkland Health Center means patients can receive life-saving treatment close to home.
Your doctor or cardiologist may recommend you for testing or treatment in a Cath Lab if you have recently experienced one or more symptoms, including, but not limited to:
- Chest Pain
- Dizziness
- Extreme tiredness
- Leg pain when walking
- Shortness of breath
A cardiac cath can also check for common heart conditions, including:
- Atherosclerosis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congenital heart disease
- Heart failure
- Heart valve disease
Minimally invasive procedures performed in the Cath Lab use smaller incisions rather than large incisions often needed in traditional surgery and require a shorter recovery. You may be able to go home the same day or, occasionally, after a brief hospital stay. If a blockage or abnormality is identified during the cardiac cath, additional procedures may be performed during or after the cardiac cath, including:
- Coronary Angioplasty and Stenting: Minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter and balloon to clear blocked or narrowed arteries in the heart
- Peripheral Angiogram with Stent: Minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter and balloon to open blocked or narrowed arteries in the legs and other vascular areas
- Pacemaker and ICD Implant: Small electronic devices are placed in the chest, just below the collarbone, to control your heartbeat
- Loop Implant: A small recording device is implanted in the body underneath the chest skin to look for causes of fainting, palpitations, very fast or slow heartbeats, and hidden rhythms that can cause strokes.
Call 573-431-3338 to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist.