— Two fully operational labs offer lifesaving heart treatment to area residents—
January 13, 2006 – The outcome may have been very different if Lawrence “Mo” Adams had not acted so quickly. “Doctors said I died, and they brought me back,” said Adams, “I’m lucky to be alive.”
Chest pains and shortness of breath—two classic signs of a heart attack—got the attention of this 52-year-old Hampton resident. “I made sure I went to the hospital, and I’m glad I did.” Emergency medical services called ahead to Sentara CarePlex Hospital and by the time Adams arrived, the entire cardiac team was assembled, ready to help restore precious blood flow to his heart.
Earlier this month, Sentara CarePlex Hospital opened its second cardiac catheterization laboratory. Now more patients experiencing chest pain who are brought to Sentara CarePlex Hospital will benefit greatly from the availability of two fully operational cardiac catheterization (cath) laboratories, both staffed by board certified cardiologists. The laboratories will be available to treat patients experiencing acute coronary symptoms who may be in need of cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, stent, balloon or pacemaker implantation.
The hospital previously had only one cath lab, which treated approximately 1,625 patients during 2005. The addition of a second cath lab with state-of-the-art equipment, located on the second floor of the hospital adjacent to the first lab, will benefit the community by speeding the hospital’s ability to provide even more of these life-saving treatments.
“Having a second cath lab will improve our ability to quickly serve patients within the community who come to the hospital with chest pain from blocked heart arteries,” said Cardiologist Derrick E. Ridley, MD. “The quicker we can get a patient into the cath lab, the better chance we have of preserving heart function.”
Having a second cath lab will also improve scheduling flexibility for patients and staff.
“The most important thing that will come out of this is the timeliness for opening a blocked artery,” concurred Cardiologist Charles M. Vaughan, M.D. “And studies have proven that there is a direct link between how soon you get in there and treat it and how good your outcomes are. The new equipment will also provide better imaging and also less radiation exposure for both patients and cath lab staff alike.”
Sentara CarePlex Hospital is a technologically advanced acute care hospital located in Hampton, Virginia featuring 194 private patient rooms. The facility has the Peninsula’s first “smart” operating rooms and a campus-wide fiberoptic backbone to support transfer of filmless, digital diagnostic images. Sentara CarePlex Hospital also offers eICU®, a highly advanced electronic monitoring system for intensive care patients, outpatient diagnostic imaging, advanced surgical capabilities, a hospitalist program, Cancer Institute, and one of the state's largest emergency departments. Two medical office buildings on the campus provide access to hundreds of specialists.