NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt Manor on April 25 opened a new Interventional Cardiology Suite that includes cardiac catheterization laboratory facilities, building on the cardiac services the hospital already offers. NewYork-Presbyterian’s Hudson Valley cardiology group has been providing a full range of services for cardiovascular disease at NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville as well as Hudson Valley Hospital. Cardiac catheterization procedures have been performed at the catheritzation lab at Lawrence Hospital. With the opening of the new facility in Cortland Manor, patients no longer will have to travel to Bronxville for imaging and additional treatment options will be available.
Dr. Giora Weisz, medical director of interventional cardiology at Hudson Valley Hospital told the Business Journal, “The new Interventional Cardiology Suite at NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley is one of a few centers in Westchester licensed to perform emergency cardiac procedures. It is strategically located directly upstairs from our emergency room, saving precious minutes for a patient who may be having a heart attack or a patient who may need immediate cardiac interventions. The program provides a variety of emergent procedures, including cardiac angioplasty to improve blood flow in narrow or blocked arteries for patients experiencing a heart attack or chest pain.”
Weisz explained that when doctors perform cardiac catheterization, they insert a catheter with special sensors into a vein in the patient’s groin, arm, or neck. Images are produced that allow the doctors to determine how well the heart is pumping. In addition, during the catheteriztion procedure, pressure measurements of blood flow in the heart and the lungs can be taken, providing important information on the heart’s functionality.
“We can also perform a coronary angiogram, which is a series of X-ray images of your heart arteries recorded to evaluate whether angioplasty, stenting, coronary artery bypass surgery, or medical therapy is needed,” Weisz said. “We inject dye that is visible by X-ray into a catheter that is inserted through an artery in your groin or wrist, allowing us to assess the images for narrowing and blockages. During this procedure, patients can also have coronary balloon angioplasty and stenting, which allows us to inflate a small-balloon-tipped catheter where your coronary arteries are narrowed. The procedure opens the artery for better blood flow. A small mesh scaffold is inserted to keep the artery open and allow for good blood flow to the heart.”
Stacey Petrower, president of NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital told the Business Journal that the project cost about $13 million. The new 8,500-square-foot facility was constructed in what had been a vacant space covering 12,000 square feet on the third floor of the hospital.
“It was very important for us to create a space that was comfortable and inviting to our patients with enough space to accommodate the procedural areas,” Petrower said. “The suite is designed with warm and welcoming finishes with plenty of natural light throughout the patient and family waiting area and spacious prep and recovery spaces.”
Petrower said that the Cath Lab procedure rooms are both equipped with advanced image-guided therapy systems made by Philips and all the top of the line medical and imaging equipment found at major cardiac centers.
“Our interventional cardiologists have many years of experience and are part of NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center”™s Department of Interventional Cardiovascular Care,” Petrower said. “They are supported by a patient care director, experienced cath lab nurses and angioplasty specialists. For almost 20 years, NewYork-Presbyterian has been the number one hospital in New York for cardiology and cardiac surgery services, according to U.S. News and World Report. For 2021-2022, U.S. News ranked our program number four in the nation.”
Petrower said that Hudson Valley Hospital serves patients in many diverse neighborhoods within the Hudson Valley region including in Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange counties.
