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SLCH’s cardiac cath lab, opened at our Newburgh campus in February 2005, has become one of the most active in the region. Patients typically undergo the procedure if they’re experiencing chest pains and an abnormality is indicated by an EKG, blood work, and/or stress test. Cardiac catheterization immediately gives the physician an understanding of the patient’s heart health, and is instrumental in determining the next step in treatment.
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During cardiac catheterization, the cardiologist inserts a small tube into an artery (usually the patient’s groin) and threads it up into the arteries of the heart. A dye is then injected, and an X-ray “video” showing the heart function, and anatomy of the arteries, is made. The patient is sedated for the typically outpatient procedure, which takes about an hour.
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After resting in SLCH’s comfortable cardiac cath recovery suite, complete with personal televisions, nonemergency patients are discharged to follow up with their cardiologists. |
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