Stony Brook Hospital Opens Cardiac Cath/Electrophysiology Lab

STONY BROOK, NY — Stony Brook University Hospital on Wednesday announced the opening of its Cardiac Catheterization (Cath) and Electrophysiology (EP) Advanced Multifunctional Laboratory that aims to bring more advanced cardiac diagnosis and treatment to Long Islanders.

The new space is part of the hospital's Stony Brook University Heart Institute. It consolidates comprehensive cardiac cath and EP services into one shared laboratory.

"Our upgraded technology, together with our expert team of interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists and cardiac surgeons, offer critical lifesaving procedures for when every minute counts," said Hal A. Skopicki, MD, PhD, co-director of Stony Brook Heart Institute, via news release. "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."

The Heart Institute physicians will have equipment for operations of different intensities of invasiveness, and the 845-square-foot laboratory has been outfitted with anesthesia equipment, advanced state-of-the-art angiographic suite equipment and the latest in electrophysiology technology. Its space allows for teams to complete procedures from complex to emergency.

The lab also features an image-guided diagnostic and therapeutic system known as the Philips Azurion 7, which provides imaging capabilities at ultra-low radiation dose levels — allowing physicians to conduct more complex procedures with greater precision. The machine will add extra safety for both patients and the medical team.

This new Cath/EP Lab is next 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 Long Island the latest advances in cardiac technology.

"You can’t beat technology that reduces risks and improves patient outcomes, enabling our cardiovascular clinicians to provide quality care more effectively and efficiently," said Henry J. Tannous, MD, co-director of Stony Brook Heart Institute. "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 United States. 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, as well as added safety and ease.

Here are some other things to know about the new laboratory, according to Stony Brook University Hospital:

• "The 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 he or she needs more complex cardiac care, which minimizes the potential for damage to the heart. For 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 important in helping doctors diagnose and treat heart disease.

Stony Brook's Heart Institute specialists are Cath Lab Director Robert T. Pyo, MD, and EP Lab Director Eric Rashba, MD,

"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," Pyo said. "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."