A scary, stressful experience is the last thing a heart patient needs. So Hoag Hospital's Dr. Subbarao Myla and his colleagues are set to debut a state-of-the-art catheterization suite where patients can get in and out quickly, smoothly and in comfort.
"We wanted to have a systems approach to patient safety," said Myla. "How can I get the best information at my fingertips without me taking my eye off the ball?"
The specialized room features control pads, which are available at the surgeon's finger tips, and zero-gravity suspended lead aprons to increase efficiency. This technology allows doctors to address everything from aneurysms in the brain to blood clots in the legs. The lab is also specially equipped to treat atrial fibrillation or racing hearts. The key part of the procedure is finding the precise area causing the heart's electrical short.
"It used to take three to five hours. Now it would take less than two hours because of this three-dimensional technology," said Myla.
Myla says operating in the catheterization suite is like flying a sleek F-22 jet. You have your pilot, co-pilot, a flight plan and mission control.
"This integrated bank brings all that information right at my fingertips. With that console I can control, zoom, take a bigger picture, small, move it to the side," said Myla.
Myla believes the new catheterization suite experience will mean faster recoveries and a better long-term follow ups, but to prove this scientifically, doctors at Hoag Hospital plan to enlist patients in a two-year study to find out exactly how much better patients do.
