The cardiac catheterization lab offers emergency and elective procedures.

Comprehensive heart care choices are increasing at LWRMC with the addition of a new license for the catheterization lab.

Emergency and Elective Procedures
LWRMC has a Level I Cardiac Catheterization (Cath) Lab license from the state. The hospital can perform comprehensive interventional procedures that can be lifesaving in emergencies and, as elective procedures, help prevent heart damage.

"This designation is a key achievement for the hospital and our community," says Linda Widra, Chief Operating Officer at LWRMC. "People can get the cardiac procedures they need without traveling away from their homes, families and support systems."

Doctors and staff on the cardiac catheterization lab team at Lakewood Ranch.

Diagnosing and Treating
When patients suffer heart attacks, they permanently lose heart muscle. Prompt treatment is essential to restore or improve blood flow to the heart.

One emergency and elective cardiac procedure is percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In one method of PCI, often known as balloon angioplasty, interventional cardiologists make a small incision in the groin and thread a long, thin catheter through the blood vessels to the heart. Using dye and X-rays to view the insides of the coronary arteries, doctors can find blocked or narrowed areas. Then, a balloon-tipped catheter is threaded up to the affected artery. The balloon is inflated to compress the plaque and widen the artery to improve blood flow. A tube, called a stent, may be inserted to keep the artery open.

Linda Widra Chief Operating Officer

"We're proud of the fact that we follow national guidelines focused on shortening the time that passes between when a heart attack patient arrives at the hospital and when they have angioplasty procedures to open blocked vessels. Times of 90 minutes or less can dramatically improve patient outcomes," says Erick Calderon, MD, FACC, FSCAI, interventional cardiologist and Medical Director of the catheterization lab.

"Patients have better results when they can get advanced care close to home," says Niranjan Seshadri, MD, an interventional cardiologist at LWRMC. "The faster we can open blockages, the better their long-term outlook should be."

Erick Calderon, MD, FACC, FSCAI 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Suite 330 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-907-1113

Doctors can perform these procedures on an elective basis to help prevent heart attacks in patients who have angina or other nonemergency cardiac problems.

Comprehensive Care
Specialists at LWRMC perform a full range of cardiac and noncardiac interventional procedures to help treat heart and vascular problems throughout the body. In addition to coronary angiographies and angioplasties, they also offer these services:

• Restoring blood flow to vital areas of the body with angioplasties (renal, peripheral and carotid)
• Implanting pacemakers, defibrillators and biventricular devices that help the heart work effectively
• Placing tiny filters in the vessels to prevent blood clots from traveling to the lungs
• Using special cutting devices and lasers to remove plaque from vessels in the legs
• Performing peripheral laser atherectomies and carotid artery stenting

Niranjan Seshadri, MD Heart Care Consultants 6310 Health Parkway Suite 120 Bradenton, FL 34202 941-684-3524

Learn the Warning Signs of Heart Attack
Knowing the warning signs of a heart attack and calling 911 right away is vital because treatment depends on getting help fast.

The five major warning signs of heart attack are:

• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
• Feeling weak, light-headed or faint
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders
• Shortness of breath