The Cardiac Catheterization (“Cath”) Program at Intermountain Medical Center has the highest volumes and provides care to the most complex patients in the Intermountain West. The strength of our program lies in our ability to provide the highest quality and individualized care to every patient.
Award Winning
Our Catheterization Program is a 5-time winner of Thomsen Reuter's
(Solucient's) healthcare awards: 100 Top Hospitals with Cardiovascular Residency Programs.
10,000 Procedures Every Year
Higher volumes means more heart experience. In our catheterization labs, physicians perform close to 10,000 procedures every year:
| Procedure |
2008 |
2009 |
| Total Procedures |
9,845 |
9,673 |
| Diagnostic Cardiac |
4,228 |
4,008 |
| Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) |
1,660 |
1,419 |
| Septal Closures |
593 |
706 |
| Peripheral Vascular |
232 |
125 |
| Electrophysiologic Studies (EPS) |
774 |
869 |
| Ablation |
767 |
893 |
| Pacemaker |
436 |
518 |
| ICD |
303 |
348 |
| Endo-myocardial Biopsy |
564 |
330 |
Our Facility
Our program consists of eight state-of-the-art catheterization labs including a hybrid cath/operating room and the only robotic magnetic navigation system in the Intermountain West. We also have an integrated patient unit located immediately outside of the cath lab area. Here patients are assessed before their procedure and later return for recovery. The unit has 32 patient beds and a dedicated, experienced nursing staff.
Success in Treating Acute Heart Attacks
We have consistently and effectively improved the treatment of patients with acute heart attack, also called ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). It is well established that a coronary intervention on these patients is most effective when employed in less than 90 minutes from the arrival of the patient. Our program is consistently below the 90 minute mark, including when patients are transferred from other centers.
Success in Treating Advanced, Complex Patients
Our Interventional Cardiologists routinely treat high-risk heart patients that may not be eligible for surgery. We bring together a team of specialists to evaluate these patients before deciding on the appropriate procedure.
The team includes:
- Heart Surgery
- Heart Failure Cardiology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Interventional Cardiology
State-of-the-Art Medicine – Percutaneous Mechanical Circulatory Support
Our program provides rapid, state-of-the-art support for patients whose hearts are rapidly failing. In conjunction with the Utah Artificial Heart Program, our Interventional Cardiologists are trained to deploy life-saving, temporary ventricular assist devices that can support patients for several hours or several days. These devices may also be used in more routine procedures, such as ablation, to give complex patients increased circulation and an added level of safety during the procedure. Please visit the Utah Artificial Heart Program for more information.
Innovation – Treatment of Heart Disease without Heart Surgery
Our Structural Heart Disease Program is currently involved in clinical trials that study methods to replace and repair valves through catheters, without the need of open heart surgery. A hybrid cardiac cath lab/operating room has been built at our center to facilitate these studies and allow our cardiologists and surgeons to work together in the same space.
The newest, most exciting breakthroughs in heart catheterization technology are available at Intermountain Medical Center. Our program has received national and international recognition for its contributions to these technologies as well as their successful outcomes in the most complex patients.
Clinics Affiliated with the Cardiac Catheterization Program