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Offering the Most Advanced Technology to Diagnose Heart Disorders
Monmouth Medical Center's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory provides
invasive cardiac services, offering the most advanced technology
for the diagnosis of a wide range of cardiac disorders. We also
offer full service diagnostic cardiac catheterization, emergent
angioplasty for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction, and elective
angioplasty through the Atlantic C-Port program.
The Lab, led by a fellowship-trained cardiologist and staffed
by highly qualified nurses, technicians and other medical professionals
with years of experience in cardiac care, takes a team approach
to treatment that allows your care to remain in the hands of both
your primary care physician and your heart specialist.
The information on this website is provided to help you understand
the cardiac catheterization procedure.
For additional information on services provided by Monmouth Medical
Center's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory or to schedule an
appointment, please call (732) 923-6875.
Your heart is a muscular organ that is the size of your closed
fist. It beats more than 100,000 times a day and pumps blood throughout
your body. The human heart is comprised of four chambers and four
valves. Blood vessels called coronary arteries supply the necessary
oxygen and nutrients to the heart and other muscles and organs
to stay alive.
Symptoms such as shortness of breath, angina (pain or discomfort
in the chest, arm or jaw), dizziness or palpitations may signal
problems with the functioning of your heart.
Monmouth Medical Center's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory offers
the most thorough testing to determine the cause of these symptoms
and to observe how well your heart is working.
A cardiac catheterization lets your doctor see, through X-ray
images, if any narrowing and/or blockages of coronary arteries
exists and locates the problem area. With this non-surgical procedure,
your doctor will be able to determine if the heart valves are opening
and closing properly, and observe how efficiently the heart muscle
is pumping.
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Sometimes coronary arteries become clogged or narrowed because
of fatty deposits of plaque, resulting in a condition called atherosclerosis.
As plaque buildup increases, it becomes difficult for your arteries
to supply enough oxygen-rich blood for your heart to work properly.
If the artery becomes totally blocked, a heart attack can occur.
Stress tests, electrocardiograms and other cardiac diagnostic
procedures provide considerable information on heart muscle and
heart valve function. However, these tests may not always provide
a complete picture. Cardiac catheterization allows your cardiologist
to view an outline of the coronary arteries and more precisely
determine the extent of blockages in these vessels.
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Cardiac catheterization is performed by your cardiologist, who
inserts a narrow and soft flexible tube called a catheter into
a blood vessel and gently guides it toward your heart. Once the
catheter is in place, X-rays and other tests are done.
Cardiac catheterization can show:
- If coronary arteries are blocked.
- If your heart is pumping normally.
- If you have any structural heart problems.
- If you have any valvular heart problems.
Many X-rays are taken during the catheterization procedure. Once
your doctor has viewed these images, he or she will discuss the
final results with you. If your cardiac catheterization reveals
a heart problem, the detailed information gained through this test
will help you and your doctor develop the best possible treatment
plan for you.
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Monmouth Medical Center is one of a select group of 9 New Jersey
hospitals to offer non-emergent angioplasty through the Atlantic
C-Port Registry. Hospitals accepted into the study are permitted
to perform interventional cardiac procedures such as coronary angioplasty
and stenting on a select patient population without having on-site
cardiac surgical services.
What is C-Port?
C-PORT stands for Cardiovascular Patient Outcomes Research Team.
The study is a research project involving patients who need angioplasty
(balloon and/or stent procedure) for treatment of coronary artery
disease.
Why is this research being conducted?
This study is being done to find out whether there differences
in the outcome of angioplasty (the balloon/stent procedure) when
it is performed in hospitals that do not have heart surgery,
compared to outcomes of angioplasty done in hospitals that perform
heart surgery.
For more information
If you are interested in this study, contact the Cardiac Catheterization
Laboratory staff at 732-923-6875.
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