Central Carolina Hospital’s Cath Lab Offers Patients More Specialty Services

SANFORD, N.C. - Dec. 10, 2013 - PRLog -- Sanford, N.C. (December 10, 2013) – Central Carolina Hospital continues to expand heart care options for the community.   Its latest offering is an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD), designed to monitor and treat life threatening heart rhythms.  Now, patients are able to be treated close to home.

An Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) is a small device, slightly larger than a pacemaker, which is placed inside the patient’s chest. It is used to treat dangerous irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias.  An ICD uses electrical pulses or shocks to help control life-threatening arrhythmias, especially those that can cause sudden cardiac arrest (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/scda/)(SCA), which is when the heart suddenly stops beating. Sudden cardiac arrest usually causes death if not treated immediately.

ICDs are recommended when a patient’s heart has been weakened from a heart attack, a virus or high blood pressure. The operation lasts for approximately 45 minutes.   The ICD device is inserted into the upper part of the chest and leads with electrodes are inserted through a vein and attached to the heart.  The device constantly monitors heart rate and rhythm.  When it detects a life threatening heart rhythm, which can cause sudden cardiac arrest, it delivers a shock to the heart muscle.  This restores a normal heart rhythm and allows the heart to beat again.

Dr. Hemant Solomon, Clinical Assistant Professor at UNC, is the first cardiologist to implant this highly specialized device to treat patients in Sanford.  Now that this option is available in the CCH catheterization lab, people in the community will not have to travel elsewhere for this procedure.

“We are glad we can offer this type of service to our local community. Being able to stay close to home when having surgery of any kind, especially one that deals with your heart, is extremely important for both the patient and the family,” said Doug Doris, CEO.

About Central Carolina Hospital

Central Carolina Hospital is a 137-bed acute care hospital that serves the health care needs of Lee County and surrounding communities.  With over 100 physicians on staff, the hospital offers a wide range of specialties including cardiology, orthopedics, general surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, otolaryngology, emergency medicine, gastroenterology, hospitalist services, nephrology, hematology, urology, podiatry, dentistry, pulmonary medicine, primary care provider network, ear nose and throat (ENT) provider network, cardiology provider  network and a women’s care provider network.  Hospital services include emergency room, physical and occupational therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, diagnostic imaging and radiology, inpatient and outpatient surgery, maternity services, nutritional counseling by clinical dietitians, and diagnostic cardiac catheterization.

Committed to providing quality care to the community, the hospital has earned numerous disease-specific quality designations:

·         American Heart Association Get with the Guidelines^SM Gold Plus Performance Achieve­ment Award for Heart Failure, January 2013

·         American Heart Association Get with the Guidelines^SM Gold Plus Performance Achieve­ment Award forStroke Silver Plus, January 2013

·         Joint Commission Advanced Certification for Heart Failure

·         Joint Commission Advanced Primary Stroke Certification