Piedmont Fayette Hospital is expanding its cardiovascular care with the addition of adult diagnostic cardiac catheterization services.

Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure that measures blood flow within the heart and how much oxygen is in the blood. Cardiac caths also are used to assess the pumping ability of the heart muscle.

Early detection and diagnosis are critical tools in fighting heart disease, said Darrell Cutts, president and CEO of Piedmont Fayette Hospital. Offering cardiac catheterization is another example of our continued commitment to providing the most advanced healthcare to our patients.

To perform cardiac catheterization, a specially-trained cardiologist inserts a thin plastic tube, or catheter, into a blood vessel in your arm or groin and into your heart. Through the catheter, your doctor can measure pressures, take blood samples, and inject contrast material into the coronary arteries or chambers of the heart. The doctor watches movement of the dye through your heart's chambers and blood vessels to see whether the coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked. Arteries can become narrowed when plaque builds up inside the lining of the vessels. Depending on the results, a physician may recommend changes in diet and lifestyle or that the patient undergoes angioplasty or heart surgery to open blockages.

Piedmont Fayette Hospital offers a range of state-of-the-art, comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative cardiology services, including echocardiograms, electrocardiograms (EKG), holter and event monitoring, cardiac monitoring, stress testing and cardiac rehabilitation. The cardiology care team at Piedmont Fayette Hospital includes physicians, nurses, cath lab technologists, therapists, nutritionists and other healthcare professionals. For a physician referral, call 1-866-900-4321, or for more information about Piedmont Fayette Hospitals cardiology services, visit www.fayettehospital.org.

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