RITA COOK / Staff Writer
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ELLIS COUNTY – Ellis County residents will have easier access to needed cardiac care since Methodist Midlothian recently completed a $5-million expansion project adding a cardiac catheterization lab to its location.
The cardiac catheterization lab is a new service line for the hospital and will be a huge benefit to Ellis County residents.
The lab features state-of-the-art equipment, interventional lab resources, and the most advanced technology to help patients with heart disease.
“A cardiac catheterization lab is a specialized area in a hospital where specialists diagnose and treat coronary artery disease and heart attacks using tiny, flexible tubes called catheters to access the heart and its blood vessels,” explained Roberto Wayhs, MD, interventional cardiologist on the medical staff at Methodist Midlothian.
The catheterization procedure helps physicians and nurses to assess key measures of heart function, including blood pressure and blood flow, and it allows them to take X-rays of arteries to pinpoint life-threatening blockages.
In the past, cardiac patients in Ellis County were taken by EMS to Methodist Mansfield.
“We’re excited to expand our cardiac care for patients closer to the friends and neighbors,” said Kasey Cheshier, Manager/Community Relations & Volunteer Services, Methodist Midlothian Medical Center.
Chesier stated the project planning took more than a year for the cardiac catheterization lab to come to fruition as well as an additional six months for the construction.
“It is critical to have a catheterization lab in close proximity of a patient since the most effective treatment is performed within 90 minutes of the onset of symptoms,” Wayhs acknowledged.
“By allowing easier, faster access to the highest standard of cardiac care, the lab provides more immediate and potentially lifesaving care for local residents.”
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