Cardiac Cath Lab

New and unique technology helps Intermountain's renowned cardiac team diagnose and treat all kinds of heart problems.

One of the newest, most exciting breakthroughs in cardiac technology is a procedure known as stereotaxis.  By using stereotaxis technology, doctors can navigate catheters through the body using magnets.

There are a very limited number of these systems available in the United States, and only one in the Intermountain west. You'll find it at the new J.L. Sorenson Heart & Lung Center at Intermountain Medical Center.

Intermountain's renowned cardiac diagnostic and interventional services are expanding

Intermountain has historically had a world-renowned cardiac catheterization program, and all of the traditional cardiac diagnostic and interventional procedures will also be available at its new flagship heart and lung hospital. The department is growing, from six cath labs at LDS Hospital to eight at Intermountain Medical Center. There will also be more space for preparing and recovering patients - 32 beds instead of the previous 18.

Heart and Lung Center offers enhanced physician integration and computer support

In addition, the department's working space has been designed to accommodate physicians while they're in the area. Physicians have physical workstations right in the department. This means that doctors can make better use of their downtime and allows better synergy between the nurses, physicians, and staff.

Not only has the physical space been designed for efficiency, so has the computer system. Doctors can go to one computer to look at a patient's CT, cardiac cath, echo, nuclear scans, MRI, and other diagnostic tests and those same tests can also be called up from other cardiology departments in the Intermountain system.  So, if a cardiac patient from Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George has an episode while they're 300 miles away in Salt Lake, we can pull up their files electronically. Soon, they will also be available view results remotely, so physicians can look at their patients' tests wherever they are.

More patients entering the J.L. Sorenson Heart & Lung building will be visiting the catheterization area than any other department, so it is conveniently located on the ground level.

Some of the services available in the cardiac cath labs

Diagnostic and interventional procedures available at the cardiac catheterization labs include:

• Heart catheterization/angiography: This procedure allows cardiologists to diagnose and treat heart disease. A wire is inserted into the femoral artery near the groin, threaded through the arterial system, and into the arteries that surround and supply blood to the heart. A contrast dye is injected and X-ray pictures are taken to diagnose the disease.
• Balloon angioplasty: A small balloon inflates to push plaque against the arterial wall, thus opening the artery. Plaque is a substance that builds up on the artery wall like hard water deposits in a pipe.
• Stent: A small metal mesh device acts as a permanent scaffold to prevent arteries from collapsing.
• Rotablator: This device shaves off layers of plaque from the arterial wall.
• Excimer laser: A laser removes arterial plaque by burning it off.
• Brachytherapy: Beta radiation is used to treat in-stent restenosis. Restenosis is re-blocking of the artery after it has been opened.
• Drug-eluting stents: Stents are coated with a drug to prevent restenosis.
• Angiojet: This device extracts clots from the artery.
• Electrophysiology study: This is an invasive test of the electrical system of the heart. During the study, the heart is paced in various ways to study the speed and location of the flow of electricity within the heart. In many cases, the study is an electrical test drive to see if the heart has the tendency to go into potentially dangerous rhythms that require treatment.
• Electrophysiology therapies: These include several treatments for various rhythm disorders, including medications, radiofrequency catheter ablation (ablation of atrial fibrillation), permanent pacemaker implantation, implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and bi-ventricular implantable cardioverter defibrillator for treatment of heart failure.

Preparing for Your Visit

• Information to help prepare you for your Cardiac Cath Lab visit