Saint Anthony's Providing Quality Heart Care
(February 10, 2012) – A new cardiac catheterization unit is at the heart of Saint Anthony’s cardiology department, which was recently blessed as Saint Anthony’s Heart Center.
With the help of a $500,000 anonymous donor and additional community support over last summer, Saint Anthony’s started and completed renovation of the $1.2 million cath lab in just under three months. “Our new cath lab was truly a gift from God and our very 
generous donors in the community,” says Sister M. Mikela, Chairman of the Board for Saint Anthony’s and Vice President of Patient Care Services.
“Providing quality heart care is at the core of our patient care services, from the Emergency Department and the cath lab to testing and our critical care unit. Our staff and cardiologists stand ready when individuals need emergency angioplasties to open blocked arteries or intervention for other cardiovascular diseases.”
Developed by Siemens Medical Solutions, the fully digital cardiac catheterization system features advanced technology in the form of flat-panel detectors, which enable physicians to obtain images in high resolution, without the distortion common with conventional x-ray techniques. The flat detectors, made of amorphous silicon, not only enable physicians to visualize fine blood vessels, it also helps physicians visualize interventional devices, such as guidewires, catheters and coronary stents in precise detail and from almost any angle.
“The new angiography system provides the cardiologists with highly detailed images of patient’s blood vessels during diagnostic and treatment procedures,” says Pam Kratovil, RN, Director of Critical Care and Cardiology.
“Better images lead to faster, more accurate diagnosis for patients,” says Kratovil. “And our new system is specially designed to provide patients with the lowest possible radiation dose.” Minimizing radiation dose is especially beneficial during catheterization procedures because they are often lengthy in duration.
The ergonomic design of the system also eliminates time-consuming and uncomfortable repositioning of the patient in the exam room, making the procedure faster and less stressful for the patient. During interventions, the compact flat-panel detector technology enables virtually all anatomical regions to be easily imaged. System functions can be performed via an intuitive tableside touch-screen display. This enables full system control, and leads to improved confidence during the procedure.
Cardiologists on the medical staff of Saint Anthony’s are: Elie C. Azrak, M.D.; Stanley Biel, M.D.; Osama G. Bishara, M.D.; Saad Bitar, M.D.; Georges Chahoud, M.D.; Lalith K. Chouhan, M.D.; Rama Gondi, M.D.; James Hilgard, M.D.; Thomas King, M.D.; Robert Lutan, M.D. FSCAI; Suresh Narayanan, M.D.; Bharat Shah, M.D.; Samer Thanavaro, M.D.; Peng Wang, M.D.; and Ali Ziaee, M.D.
For more information about Saint Anthony’s Heart Center, call 618-474-6114. For information about the cardiologists on the medical staff of Saint Anthony’s, call Saint Anthony’s Physician Referral at 618-463-1234.