AdventHealth Gordon opens new Cardiac Catheterization Lab

The new Cardiac Catheterization Lab at AdventHealth Gordon opened to patients on February 3. The Cardiac Catheterization Lab, also referred to as the cath lab, provides diagnostic and treatment options in interventional cardiology.

With highly skilled staff and state-of-the-art equipment, the cath lab is a place where life-saving procedures take place for patients suffering from structural heart diseases. It is a part of AdventHealth Gordon’s $24 million capital project, which began mid-2018, to enhance the services provided to the community. In addition to the construction of the new cath lab, this capital project also included the Edna Owens Breast Center, an expanded operating room and the new Baby Place, all of which are now open.

Cardiac catheterization is a minimally-invasive diagnostic procedure to examine if one or more of the arteries that supply blood to the heart is blocked or narrowed. Because arteries of the heart can’t be viewed with regular x-rays, a small plastic tube must be threaded from the groin to the coronary artery. X-ray dye is injected into the artery, so it can be examined. While the dye is being injected, high speed x-rays are produced. Our physicians and staff will then use the x-rays to diagnose patients and determine proper treatment options.

“AdventHealth Gordon is committed to increasing the cardiology services and care that we extend to our community,” said Destiny Howe, nurse manager of the AdventHealth Gordon Cardiac Cath Lab. “This new facility will allow us to grow our program and add procedures closer to where you call home.”

AdventHealth Gordon’s new cath lab will provide interventional cardiology services to the residents of Northwest Georgia. The features of the new cath lab include:

• Improved privacy for patient circulation
• Calcium scoring
• Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
• One large family lounge
• Six new patient prep and recovery stations within an enclosed unit and team station
• New MRI and control room with a dedicated patient waiting and changing space
• New cath storage room
• Improved access between cath control rooms
• Large reading room