Additional cath labs coming to Round Rock
Increasing demand for minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures is driving the need for more cath labs.
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Plans for the expansion currently under construction at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock include additional cardiac catheterization labs, or cath labs, where interventional cardiologists perform minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat a variety of cardiovascular issues.
Unlike surgery, which requires large incisions, cardiac catheterization involves inserting a catheter, a thin, flexible tube, through a small nick in the groin or wrist and guiding it to the arteries of the heart. Patients typically have less discomfort and heal faster than with open-heart surgery. In fact, patients are often only partially sedated during catheterization procedures.
In the cath lab, interventional cardiologists can place stents, correct heart defects, dissolve blood clots and implant devices to help the heart function properly.
These minimally invasive procedures are especially advantageous for higher-risk patients who may not be able to undergo open-heart surgery.
One such patient, Alfred Meiske, had a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure at the age of 104 in the cath lab at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock. According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, about 16% of TAVR patients are over the age of 90 and experience the same level of quality-of-life improvements as younger patients. As the population in the Greater Austin region grows and ages, these procedures will be in even greater demand.
To learn more about the expansion at Round Rock and how you can help, please contact Kassi Horner, JD, at Kassi.Horner@BSWHealth.org or 979.571.4872.
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