Wilmington Cardiac Catheterization Lab Procedures

Advanced Diagnostics, Monitoring & Treatment

The Cardiac Catheterization Labs are where we house our state-of-the-art imaging technology and other devices related to cardiac care. Cardiac catheterization is a screening procedure that allows doctors to examine the heart using a small camera attached to a catheter that is inserted into the body and guided to the heart. While traditionally used for diagnostic purposes, cardiac catheterization can also be used to perform treatments by attaching small instruments to the catheter or using the video’s live feed to perform a minimally invasive surgery.

We perform the following procedures:

• Cardiac catheterization through the femoral or radial artery – A heart screening procedure. Doctors can insert the catheter through either the femoral or radial artery to reach the heart.
• Coronary angioplasty and stenting – A treatment for coronary disease, in coronary angioplasty the doctor inserts a small balloon into the narrowed artery, inflates it to increase blood flow, and inserts a small hollow tube called a stent to keep the artery open.
• Peripheral vascular angiography – A diagnostic procedure where a catheter is weaved through the vessels in the legs to look for plaque and narrowed areas.
• Peripheral vascular revascularization – If it is discovered that a patient has peripheral arterial disease, or at high risk for developing it, we can treat the condition through angioplasty, stenting, atherectomy, and/or drug therapy.
• Pacemaker and defibrillator implants – Pacemakers and defibrillators help regulate irregular heartbeats by detecting abnormalities in the heart and releasing mild electrical shocks to keep it stable.
• Cardiac ablation for arrhythmia – Cardiac ablation is a procedure that destroys a diseased piece of heart tissue in order to correct an irregular heartbeat.
• Endovascular stent repair of abdominal aneurysms – An abdominal aneurysm is an abdominal artery that has enlarged into a balloon-like shape and is at risk of rupturing. Endovascular stent repair is the process of strengthening the walls of the artery with a stent to prevent tearing.

To learn more about cardiac catheterization procedures, or to schedule an appointment with the cardiology department, call 302.421.4828.