Cath Lab & Heart Surgery

Invasive cardiac examination and treatment

When non-invasive diagnostic and screening procedures for chest pain indicate the presence of heart disease, SACMC is equipped to perform a variety of procedures to further diagnose and clinically treat the problem, up to and including open heart surgery.

Cath Lab

Cardiac catheterization is an invasive procedure in which a diagnostic cardiologist examines the arteries of your heart for blockage.

If the catheterization indicates blockage, an interventional cardiologist performs an angioplasty in which a balloon is placed and inflated in your cardiac artery to open the artery.

If needed, the cardiologist may place a cardiac stent - a permanent device to maintain the opening inside the artery.

Open Heart Surgery

If the heart problem cannot be relieved by angioplasty or stent placement, the problem is treated with open-heart surgery in SACMC's open heart surgery suite.