Innovative Options Keep Memorial on the Leading Edge of Heart Attack Care
February 2003 — Revolutionary procedures and some of the region's finest heart specialists are providing fast treatment for heart attack patients at Memorial Regional Hospital.
"We have the ability to diagnose a heart attack faster and transfer the patient for immediate intervention," says Bassel B. Ibrahim, MD, Director of Interventional Cardiology at Memorial Regional Hospital and cardiologist on the medical staff at Memorial Hospital West and Memorial Hospital Pembroke. "In some patients, the blocked artery can be reopened in less than 45 minutes."
A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery becomes blocked with a blood clot. Without adequate blood flow, the heart does not receive the oxygen and other nutrients it needs to function. Fast treatment is vital in reducing the risk of death or disability.
Historic Innovations
Memorial has long been a leader in providing new developments in cardiac care to the community.
In the early 1980s, clot-dissolving medications revolutionized heart attack treatment. More recently, angioplasty, the use of balloons to open blocked vessels, has gained broad acceptance for treating heart attack. But angioplasty had some limitations, including incidents of the artery becoming blocked again.
With the introduction of stents - tiny, metal scaffolds placed in the artery - to keep the artery open after angioplasty, the success rate has increased. Many recent studies have concluded that angioplasty is superior to medication for treating heart attacks. Also available at Memorial Regional Hospital is a special device designed to remove the clot that is causing the heart attack.
"The success rate has grown to more than 95 percent, compared to the best medication, which has a success rate of only 75 percent to 80 percent," Dr. Ibrahim says. "Not only does angioplasty open more arteries, it also creates a more brisk blood flow, which has been found to give us better short- and long-term outcomes."
The next step in cardiac care is expected to be medicated stents, which could provide the most effective means yet of preventing blood vessels from reclosing after angioplasty. The federal government is expected to approve these stents early this year.
"The interventional cardiologists at Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute realize the importance of re-establishing blood flow quickly," Dr. Ibrahim says. "We will continue to refine our protocol to ensure rapid, effective and safe treatment of and become a leader of a new standard of care."
Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute offers compre-hensive cardiac care, including the LightSpeedT CT Heart Scan. The LightSpeedT CT Heart Scan provides early detection of heart disease by revealing potential blockages in coronary arteries. To schedule an appointment for this quick, painless procedure, call (866) 722-6669.