Our cath labs are based in the cardiothoracic centre at the Freeman Hospital. They are used to help perform non-surgical procedures on the heart.
We have six labs and are one of the busiest departments in the north of England.
Our interventional cardiologists perform both planned (elective) and emergency procedures including angiograms and angioplasty (PCI) for patients with coronary heart disease (angina, heart attack).
They also have the expertise to carry out more complex procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation or TAVI – a less invasive therapy to replace a diseased aortic valve for severe aortic stenosis.
What is a Cath lab?
Cath labs are a cross between a theatre and a X-ray room. There is a bed and a number of monitors around the room. Sometimes there might be some extra equipment specific to your procedure.
The rooms are often busy with staff moving around during the procedure. At times we may need to stand away from the X-ray camera.
Who will I meet in a Cath lab?
There are a number of different staff who work collectively in a cath lab environment.
These include doctors who will perform majority of the procedures, nurses, physiologists and radiographers.
There may also be healthcare assistants, medical students and on rare occasions company specialists.
Please feel free to ask anyone what their role is, as it is important to us that our patients feel comfortable.
Will I be awake for the procedure?
The majority of Cath lab procedures are done under local anaesthetic.
This means you will be awake and the doctor numbs the area needed with an injection.
We might give you some sedation / relaxing medication, as well as painkillers. These will be delivered through a needle in the back or your hand.
You might feel a bit sleepy, but this is not the same as a general anaesthetic.
If you do have a general anaesthetic, an anaesthetist will put you to sleep fully and take over your breathing.
What cases do we do in a Cath Lab?
There are a number of different types of procedures which can be done in a Cath Lab environment, these include:
- pacemaker or defibrillator implants
- unblocking of furred up heart arteries (PCI).
We also carry out electrophysiology studies (EP) and treat patients with heart rhythm problems (atrial fibrillation or AF)d irregular.
In addition to this, we have more recently been inserting new heart valves via a tube from the leg.
How do you get referred to a Cath Lab?
Usually this will be through a cardiologist at the hospital or locally within the region. This will be on a planned basis with conversations between yourself and the cardiologist beforehand.
Patients experiencing chest pain may also come directly to the Freeman Hospital by ambulance (North East Ambulance Service) for urgent treatment.
What will I need to do during the procedure?
Our job is to get you as comfortable as possible, usually lying on your back.
If we need you to do anything specific we will warn you in advance with clear instructions. However, usually lying still and letting us know how you are doing is enough.
