Our Core Business
We provide the following services:
- Coronary Angiography;
- Coronary Angioplasty (dilatation) and stent implantation;
- Closed and Open-Heart Surgery
The Cardiac Centre also acts as facilitator for the provision of the following services:
- Neuro Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Renal Transplantation
➢Coronary Angiography is a test carried out under local anesthesia to evaluate the presence and location of coronary artery disease. A catheter is introduced via the arterial system (femoral artery commonly used) under fluoroscopy retrograde to the ascending aorta.
➢A radiopaque dye is injected directly into the artery via the catheter. As dye flows down the artery, the lumen of the artery can be visualised and the image recorded on film. Disease of the coronary artery on one of its branches will delay or obstruct the flow of dye and may be visualised on the film as a site of lumen narrowing and slow filling of the artery with dye.
➢Coronary Angioplasty means coronary dilatation. A coaxial catheter system is introduced into the coronary arterial tree and advanced into an area of coronary artery stenosis (narrowing). A balloon attached to the catheter is then inflated, increasing the luminal diameter and improving blood flow through the dilated segment. It is a non-surgical technique applied as an alternative to coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease.
➢Coronary Angioplasty + stent implantation is a device used within the occluded artery with a view to reinforce the arterial walls.
➢Open Heart Surgery – Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG) The saphenous vein and or the in internal mammary artery is commonly used for coronary artery bypass graft. The saphenous vein is obtained from the leg below the knee. The vein is removed from an incision made along the inner aspect of the leg. The obstruction is the coronary artery is bypassed by anastomosing one end of the vein graft to the aorta (proximal anastomosis) and the other end of the coronary artery just past the obstruction distal anastomosis).
a) Reference Centre
Cardiac patients needing coronary angiography, coronary angioplasty and heart surgery are referred to the Centre by Cardiologists from Cardiac Units of all five regional hospitals. A National Waiting List for angiography, angioplasty, cardiac surgery (adult) and paediatric cardiac surgery is maintained at the Centre. Vascular cases are referred to the Centre for surgical intervention and management by all regional hospitals. Critical neuro surgery cases are operated at the Centre and immediate post-operative care and management is provided.
b) Inpatient Services
- Coronary angiography undertaken on a daily basis.
- Coronary angioplasty undertaken on a daily basis.
- Daily open heart surgery.
- Neuro surgery.
- Critically-ill cardiac patients and other critically ill medical cases brought in by the SAMU are provided intensive care treatment at the Centre.
- The Centre provides intensive treatment and management for pediatric complex cardiac and other medical cases.
- The Centre has recently extended its activities for the provision of thoracic surgery and vascular (open and transluminal) surgery.
c) Outpatient Services
- The Centre provides an outpatient department service for patients daily, where nursing and medical assessments are carried out to pre and post-operative patients following their registration with the Medical Record Secretary.
- Pre-operative tests, namely, ECG, cardiac echo and stress test are provided at the Centre.
- Other investigations such as chest x-ray and blood analysis are provided by the support services of the SSRN Hospital.
- Daily routine list to be angiographied are obtained from the National Waiting List whereas urgent cases are reviewed by a committee comprising Cardiac Surgeons and Cardiologists.
- Lectures are provided to staff in the Conference Room.