On Monday, Dec. 5, the AdventHealth Gordon Cardiac Catheterization Lab celebrated its 1000th cardiac catheterization in 2022.
This life-saving procedure works by guiding a thin tube through a blood vessel to the heart to diagnose or treat certain heart conditions. In the same procedure, the cath lab team can put in a stent or balloon in the case of a blockage or active heart attack, resulting in lives saved and better heart function. Last year, the cath lab completed 456 heart cath procedures, demonstrating that patients can stay in town to receive timely, life-saving care.
When Dalton resident Scott Hall felt suddenly ill and out of breath, he drove himself to AdventHealth Murray wondering if he was having an allergic reaction. After examining his heart rhythms, Thomas Garcia, DO, observed Hall in distress, and the care team intervened and stabilized Hall before transferring him to AdventHealth Gordon for a heart cath procedure. The cath team, led by invasive cardiologist Andrew McCue, MD, of Harbin Clinic, found 100% blockage on one side of his heart [EC(1] and 85% blockage on the other. By performing the hearth cath procedure, the team opened up the blockages and saved Hall’s life.
“The care I received through the whole process was more than I can ever ask for. The care team at Murray, the cath team, the ICU and the floor staff saved my life, and this whole experience was a God thing,” said Hall.
Destiny Howe, nurse manager of AdventHealth Gordon’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab encourages residents to seek help right away if they are experiencing chest pain.
“In 2022, our team treated over 200 patients needing a stent procedure, and most of the patients who we treated having an acute heart attack walked out of the hospital better than when they came in. If you are having chest pains, you need to come in immediately, and we’ll have all the tools to take care of you, but time is essential for treatment,” says Howe.