Cardiac Catheterization, The Procedure

Tim | September 23, 2010

cardiac catheterization

Cardiac Catheterization

MEDFORD, Ore. – Practice makes perfect for cardiologists at the Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford.

The RVMC Cath Lab has conducted over 61,000-thousand cardiac catheterization procedures from 1973 through 2009.

However, the technology used in the cardiac catheterization lab has changed drastically over the past 30 years.

“Last January when I had my heart attack, I was actually at a friend of mine, who’s own an auto-mechanic shop. I was walking out, all of a sudden I just kind of said, ‘this is not the way it’s supposed to happen,’ and I went down,” said Steve Fredricksen, RVMC Cath Lab Lead Tech and former patient.

Fredricksen has been the lead tech at the cardiac catheterization lab for 32 years.

“You’re dealing with these patients every day in the cardiac catheterization lab, and then all of a sudden, you’re one of them. And at 61-years-old, I wasn’t ready for that,” Fredricksen said.

However, what could have been tragic for Steve was resolved quickly after he was taken to the procedure room.

“A catheter is introduced into an artery, advanced into the heart, and depending upon the area of interest, dye is typically injected,” Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Mark Moran said.

Using X-ray technology, that dye allows the cardiologist to see the part of the arteries that is narrowed.

“There is plaque and blockages present in the coronary arteries that may predispose a person to having a heart attack,” Moran said.

You might expect the procedure, done with incredible precision on such a vital organ, to be invasive and painful.

“Catheters are very small. They are a few millimeters in diameter, so therefore the incision is very small and nothing that needs to be sewn up,” Moran said… “cardiac catheterization and coronary interventions are done with the person sedated, but awake. That’s an important portion of the study. A straightforward cardiac catheterization may take 15 to 20 minutes. A fairly rapid procedure… One cannot feel the catheter being moved through your body, remarkably.”

Once the catheter is in place, it cannot only give physicians a way of identifying the narrowed or blocked portions, but, it can then be used to correct the problem by guiding a stent to the problem area.

“A stent, basically an expandable wire mesh, premounted on a balloon, is advanced down an artery,” Moran said.

The balloon is marked on each end by two black dots.

“The balloon is inflated, expanding the stent, then the balloon is deflated, leaving the stent in its expanded configuration so that stent acts as a scaffolding to keep the artery open,” Moran said.

Coming out of a surgery like that one is very impressive. What’s even more impressive, is that these patients can be back on their feet walking tomorrow.

“We’ve had a number of patients who’ve ended up going through the same thing I did, with some fear and trepidation as to what was going to happen to them. And I’ve felt good about being able to tell them it was a good experience,” Fredricksen said.

The signs of a heart attack include at least one of the following:

- Nausea or vomiting.
- Deep heartburn or indigestion-like pain shortness of breath.
- Sudden abnormal sweating, or cold or clammy skin and dizziness

If you have any of those, accompanied by pain or discomfort in the chest, upper back, jaw, neck, arms, or stomach, call 9-1-1.

Doctors say if you suspect you’re having a heart attack, go to the hospital by ambulance.