Heart and Vascular Center

The TRMC Heart and Vascular Center’s Catheterization Lab utilizes some of the most advanced technology available to provide minimally-invasive diagnostic procedures. Catheterization procedures involve guiding a small, hollow tube called a catheter through a blood vessel up to the heart. Using the catheter and rotating X-ray equipment above the patient, all of the heart vessels can be seen in action to diagnose any blockage of arteries.

Up until recently, the catheter was inserted through the groin area, but a new “radial” technique allows the catheter to be inserted through the wrist. Although a heart catheterization is an outpatient procedure, patients are required to recover for a few hours afterward. The TRMC Heart and Vascular Center offers a radial lounge that allows patients to recover in a comfortable environment and in a reclining chair rather than a hospital bed.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty, is performed in the TRMC Heart and Vascular Center’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab. PCI encompasses a variety of procedures used to treat patients with diseased arteries of the heart, such as chest pain caused by a build-up of fats, cholesterol and other substances from the blood (referred to as plaque) that can reduce blood flow; or, a heart attack caused by a large blood clot that completely blocks the artery.

Typically, PCI is performed by threading a slender balloon-tipped tube (called a catheter) from an artery in the groin to a trouble spot in an artery of the heart. The balloon is then inflated, compressing the plaque and widening the narrowed coronary artery so that blood can flow more easily. This is often accompanied by inserting an expandable, wire-mesh stent that is used to prop open the artery.

For patients suffering the crushing pain of a heart attack, quick access to emergency PCI can help limit heart muscle damage. In some cases, it is a matter of life and death. The goal of the TRMC Heart and Vascular Center, consistent with national standards, is to restore blood flow to the heart muscle within 90 minutes of the emergency patient’s arrival at the hospital. Clinical studies show that patients truly benefit from a “door-to-balloon time” of 90 minutes or less. PCI completed in this emergency circumstance is referred to as “primary” PCI. Other PCI procedures, such as those done to unblock an artery before a heart attack occurs, are referred to as “elective” PCI.

In the past few years, there have been dramatic advances in PCI techniques, devices, and medications. Drug-eluting stents are among the most notable. These stents not only prop open the artery, but they also slowly release medication that prevents the overgrowth of scar tissue that can re-narrow the artery and block blood flow to the heart, a complication known as restenosis.

With skilled therapists, the TRMC Heart and Vascular Center’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation unit monitors and improves the recovery process of patients, increasing their physical fitness and reducing the risk of new coronary and pulmonary events. Therapists and staff also teach individuals about their disease, symptoms and management, and help those with heart disease to improve their coronary risk factors. Available programs help participants stop smoking, lose weight, lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol and reduce emotional stress.

We also offer vascular rehabilitation for patients with peripheral artery disease.

With a fully-digital angiography lab, the TRMC Heart and Vascular Center can diagnose and treat patients with vascular disease.  Vascular disease refers to the unhealthy changes which occur in our blood vessels as we grow older. The most common disease process is known as atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, which results in poor blood circulation.  Many diabetics, at any age, may also be faced with these problems.  Poor circulation to the brain due to blockage or hardening of neck arteries is also one of the leading causes of stroke.

The TRMC Heart and Vascular Center believes that problems in the outlying “peripheral” blood vessels are just as important as problems in the heart arteries. Treatment can include traditional open surgery and endovascular approaches.  Some of these surgeries may include removing the plaque from an artery; bypassing the area of obstruction with a graft; and, performing endovascular procedures.

Our unique approach to vascular care is based on our philosophy of saving life and limb through screenings, education and cutting-edge endovascular and open surgical treatments. Our vascular specialists work closely with your primary care physician to ensure that your vascular care is complementary to any existing health-related issues.

Located within the Tift Regional Heart and Vascular Center, the CHF Clinic provides specialized care and education for patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The goal is to help patients better understand their condition, manage their health, and minimize the need for hospital readmission. Some people have both problems. For a patient to be enrolled in the clinic, a referral must be made by the patient’s physician. The CHF Clinic team works closely with referring doctors to keep them fully apprised of patient progress. Improved quality of life is the aim. Treatment may include lifestyle changes, medications, surgery or medical devices. For more information or to make a referral, contact the CHF Clinic by calling 229-353-4243.