Merit Health Biloxi’s Cath Lab is Getting Hearts on the Right Track
9/28/2022
Many of our friends and neighbors’ hearts are beating stronger thanks to new access to cardiac services and procedures. After much planning and preparation, Merit Health Biloxi re-opened its cardiac catheterization lab on March 16, 2022. With this re-opening, based on the hospital’s recent certificate of need, the cath lab offers diagnostic angiograms as well as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capabilities.
The program launch was made possible through Merit Health Biloxi’s affiliation with Memorial Hospital at Gulfport and serves as an example of how these two independent health systems are working together to benefit the Mississippi Gulf Coast community. Board-certified interventional cardiologists on the medical staff at Merit Health Biloxi are available to provide care to patients in the cardiac catheterization lab, bringing a much-needed service to the Biloxi community.
A cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to check the condition of the heart and blockages in the heart arteries. The procedure is performed from the groin or wrist with a thin hollow tube guided to the heart and arteries, where they are seen by injecting contrast under live X-ray pictures. It can provide information about the condition of the heart and performance measurements.
When a severe blockage is discovered during the catheterization, the physician opens the blocked arteries with balloons and a stent, which is a metal scaffold to keep the artery open. Patients who need a stent are monitored in the hospital overnight; otherwise, a cardiac catheterization is an outpatient procedure.
“I’m humbled and excited by the opportunity to help build a catheterization program from the ground up,” said Umair Malik, M.D. a Memorial physician and member of the medical staff at Merit Health Biloxi. “This is a huge step in providing comprehensive and expeditious cardiac care to our patients on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. If you are having a heart attack, ‘time is muscle’. If blood flow is not quickly restored to your heart, you could suffer irreversible damage. The sooner we can treat you, the better the chance for recovery and your future quality of life.”
Prior to the re-launch of the cath lab, patients who presented at Merit Health Biloxi’s emergency department in need of cardiac catheterization services were transferred by ambulance 8-15 miles away. Offering this service at Merit Health Biloxi provides patients with access to timelier cardiac care, which will promote better clinical outcomes.
Often, emergency responders are the first to treat someone with chest pain. EMS personnel can perform an EKG on a patient as soon as they reach them. EMS also has the ability to transmit the EKG to hospitals for evaluation.
“Always call 911 if you experience chest pain. Never try to drive yourself or a family member to the hospital. Trained EMS professionals can begin treatment immediately and can keep you safer, especially if your condition worsens on the way to the hospital,” said Rachael Williams, MSN, BSN, RN and chief nursing officer at Merit Health Biloxi.
After a heart attack or with certain heart conditions, cardiac rehabilitation (a physical therapy program that closely monitors the heart), may be recommended to enhance recovery and improve endurance. Education and nutritional counseling services are also available through the program. Many patients who complete cardiac rehabilitation often see improvement in their daily lives and can return to normal activity levels.
“Cardiac care at Merit Health Biloxi has entered into a new era; the teamwork between EMS, the emergency department, nursing, administration, physicians and post-cardiac care teams have fostered truly patient-centered, quality care,“ Dr. Malik said.
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