White River Medical Center (WRMC) Cardiologists Qaisar Khan and Richard Van Grouw of Batesville Cardiology now offer Radial Cardiac Catheterization at WRMC. An innovative approach to cardiac care, the cardiac catheterization procedure is performed through the radial artery, located in the wrist.
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure where a small hollow tube called a catheter is inserted in an artery to obtain information about the heart's performance, detect blockage, or provide treatment. This procedure is commonly conducted in the femoral artery (through the groin area).
The common method of inserting the catheter through the femoral artery in the groin is effective, but it can be painful for patients. And, although rare, bleeding can occur, which can be hard to detect in that area. After the procedure, the patient must lie uncomfortably still for four to six hours until the artery heals.
"The Radial Heart Cath method lessens the risk to patients," said Khan.
With the Radial Heart Cath, patients have less risk of bleeding, minimal pain, a much quicker recovery time, and, with most patients undergoing the procedure going home the same day, the hospital discharge time is quicker than the overnight stay normally associated with the femoral procedure.
Khan and Van Grouw have been performing Radial Heart Caths for years as an alternative for when the femoral artery was blocked, but in September 2010 it was adopted as the primary heart cath diagnostic procedure at WRMC. "When femoral arteries were blocked in the groin, Radial Heart Caths were a back-up. We have discovered that the procedure is very beneficial for patients, the small and sleek equipment is most convenient, and the procedure works much better with overweight and obese patients," said Khan.
Because of the difficult learning curve, only a handful of doctors in the United States perform the Radial Heart Cath procedures. About five percent of United States hospitals have physicians qualified to do them.
By taking the extra step to learn how to conduct Radial Heart Cath procedures, Dr. Khan and Dr. Van Grouw have created an avenue for WRMC's patients to receive even more efficient quality care.
White River Medical Center Cardiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating patients with heart disease. Services available include cardiac consultation, cardiac catheterization and stent placement, stress testing, pacemaker and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) implantation as well as management of arrhythmias and other heart conditions.
Posted: March, 30 2011