New cardiac cath lab opens at Children’s Hospital
Published on August 30th, 2021 by Jessica Pasley.
A new, state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab debuted in April at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to meet the Pediatric Heart Institute’s growing volumes.
As the ninth busiest pediatric cardiac surgical program in the country, the expansion includes hybrid cath lab capabilities to allow for collaboration between cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists in the cardiovascular procedural suite, which combines all the features of a traditional cardiac surgery operating room with those of a cath lab.
For years, the care team has worked in a space that served both the cath lab and electrophysiology lab. Currently, the cath lab performs about 800 cases annually. The previous space saw a combined caseload of 1,200. The program is on pace to exceed those numbers in 2021.
The expansion brings the number of rooms to three and houses a 10-bed holding and recovery area, with increased staffing.
The space also incorporates video link technology to enable the cardiac ICU and ECHO Lab teams to have direct contact with the cath lab to discuss patient findings. This real-time communication enables a seamless handoff following procedures.
The cath lab diagnoses and treats pediatric and adult patients living with congenital heart disease.