Stony Brook Medicine press release, April 6, 2021:
STONY BROOK, NY, April 6, 2021 -- Stony Brook University Hospital has opened its Cardiac Catheterization (Cath) and Electrophysiology (EP) Advanced Multifunctional Laboratory that will bring even more advanced cardiac diagnosis and treatment to the residents of Long Island. The new space is part of the Stony Brook University Heart Institute at Stony Brook University Hospital. It consolidates comprehensive cardiac cath and EP services into one shared and efficient increased-capacity location.
The Heart Institute physicians will have the full range of equipment necessary to change the scope of a procedure from minimally invasive to more invasive as needed. The large, 845-square-foot multi-functional laboratory has been carefully designed and outfitted with anesthesia equipment, advanced state-of-the-art angiographic suite equipment and the latest in electrophysiology technology. Its ample space allows easy accommodation of multidisciplinary teams to execute complex and emergency procedures if needed.
Central to the lab’s operation is the latest-generation image-guided diagnostic and therapeutic imaging system, the Philips Azurion 7, which provides imaging capabilities at ultra-low radiation dose levels — allowing physicians to conduct more complex procedures with greater precision and adding a significant measure of safety for both the patients and medical team.
This new Cath/EP Lab is located adjacent to five additional labs — three Cath and two EP— on the main level of the Heart Institute at Stony Brook University Hospital. The five labs will be similarly upgraded, as part of a $19-million renovation project, to bring the Long Island community the latest advances in cardiac technology to further facilitate the care of patients with the most complex conditions.
“Our upgraded technology, together with our expert team of interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists and cardiac surgeons, offer critical lifesaving procedures for when every minute counts,” says Hal A. Skopicki, MD, PhD, Co-Director, Stony Brook Heart Institute; Chief, Cardiology; and Ambassador Charles A. Gargano Chair, Cardiology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “Our growing cardiology program continues to raise the bar for cardiac care on Long Island. We are proud to be elevating the care even further by providing our community with the full array of the most comprehensive diagnostics and treatments.”
“You can’t beat technology that reduces risks and improves patient outcomes, enabling our cardiovascular clinicians to provide quality care more effectively and efficiently,” adds Henry J. Tannous, MD, Co-Director, Stony Brook Heart Institute; Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery; and General T.F. Cheng Chair, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “That is the level of care we strive for at Stony Brook. The new higher-capacity Cath/EP Lab will allow us to expand services in the community and the entire region we serve.”
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the US. With the new facility up and running, physicians in the Advanced Multifunctional Cath/EP Lab can conduct more complex procedures with greater precision, faster access, added safety and ease.
- Stony Brook University Hospital has a full cardiac surgery team on-site, 24/7, so should the patient need more complex care, the patient can be treated at one place without losing valuable, lifesaving time.
- Being able to diagnose and treat the full range of cardiac emergencies on-site, without having to first transport the patient if the patient needs more complex cardiac care, minimizes the potential for damage to the heart. For our patients who need emergency catheterization, Stony Brook’s Code H protocol has produced an average door-to-balloon (procedure implementation) time of 53 minutes; that’s 37 minutes below the 90-minute American Heart Association treatment guideline.
- In up to one in five cardiac catheterization procedures, a cardiac cath patient ends up needing a more complex procedure. Because of this, choosing a hospital such as Stony Book that has the back-up and on-site availability of an expert cardiothoracic (CT) surgical team is necessary in delivering safe and lifesaving cardiac care.
- In the past, there were certain procedures only performed by cardiologists and certain procedures performed by cardiothoracic surgeons. Electrophysiology and interventional cardiology are good examples of the crossing of boundaries between the disciplines and is where a multifunctional Cath/EP Lab offers the best of both worlds.
Whether it’s a suspected heart attack or an abnormal heartbeat, both cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology are essential to helping doctors diagnose and treat cardiovascular (heart) disease.
Elective and emergency Cath/EP Lab procedures are delivered by Stony Brook’s nationally-recognized Heart Institute specialists led by Cath Lab Director, Robert T. Pyo, MD, Director, Interventional Cardiology; Medical Director, Structural Heart Program, Associate Professor, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University; and EP Lab Director, Eric Rashba, MD, Director, Heart Rhythm Center; Professor of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.
“Our cath labs handle even the most challenging cases, so that patients with severely reduced heart function and those with multiple complex heart conditions can be made stable and treated right here without any transport time,” says Dr. Pyo. “Additionally, no asset is more critical to our successful outcomes than our dedicated, skilled and patient-focused doctors, nurses and technicians. I’m so proud to be part of this amazing group.”
“With ever-increasing volume demands and case-complexity, the ability to effectively identify and treat arrhythmias is being greatly advanced by the current evolution in EP technology, and no place more than right here at Stony Brook,” says Dr. Rashba. “Simply put, our patients have access to the best and latest clinical advances available in the heart rhythm disorders field today.”
For more information about cardiac catheterization or electrophysiology at Stony Brook Heart Institute, call (631) 44-HEART (444-3278) or visit heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu.
Robert T. Pyo, MD, Director, Interventional Cardiology, Medical Director, Structural Heart Program; Henry J. Tannous, MD, Co-Director, Stony Brook Heart Institute, Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery; Surgical Director, Structural Heart Program; Eric Rashba, MD, Director, Heart Rhythm Center; and Hal A. Skopicki, MD, PhD, Co-Director, Stony Brook Heart Institute, Chief, Cardiology
The Philips Azurion 7 provides imaging capabilities at ultra-low radiation dose levels — allowing physicians to conduct more complex procedures with greater precision and adding a significant measure of safety for both the patients and medical team.
