Published on May 28, 2009

Three Rivers Community Hospital to open Cardiovascular Lab

New lab brings angiography services to heart and vascular patients in Josephine County and surrounding areas

Patients in Josephine County and surrounding areas can now get advanced diagnostic imaging of their hearts and vascular systems as well as treatment for peripheral vascular disease and other conditions in the new Cardiovascular Lab at their local hospital, Three Rivers Community Hospital.

Opening June 3, 2009, the $2.5 million state-of-the-art cardiovascular and interventional radiology lab allows cardiologists and interventional radiologists to examine patients for blocked arteries, heart disease, and other conditions using a procedure known as angiography. Last year, the hospital sent some 400 patients to Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford for angiography procedures.

 "This is a dramatic improvement for our patients," says Brad Personius, MD, a board certified cardiologist with Cardiology Consultants of Grants Pass. "With easier access to angiography we can expect better outcomes for our heart patients." Personius added that patients who need further medical therapy will continue care close to home. Those that need open heart surgery or a coronary stent can be moved to the Rogue Valley Medical Center, a nationally recognized heart center.

To perform an angiogram, a doctor guides a tiny wire to the heart or artery and injects colored dye that will show up in an X-ray. The result is vivid pictures of the heart and arteries that the doctor can see live on a computer monitor or record for later interpretation. With angiography, doctors can see exactly where there are blockages or other problems with the heart, arteries and other systems to determine the following:

• If arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle have become narrowed.
• If the patient needs a stent-a scaffold-like device to prop open blocked arteries or ducts.
• If the patient needs heart or vascular surgery.
• If there is an aneurysm (a bulge on an artery caused by a blood vessel wall becoming weaker).

Interventional radiologist will perform many other procedures in the new lab, including opening blocked, peripheral arteries in areas such as the arms and legs; obtaining biopsy samples; relieving obstructions and draining abscesses in the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts; embolization to cut off blood flow to tumors; and inserting ports in the arteries for use with IV injections.

"We re very excited to use our interventional radiology advanced training to do many procedures, both routine and advanced," says Marcus Bryner, MD, an interventional radiologist.
 
"It's all part of an ongoing effort to bring better heart and vascular care to the area," says Win Howard, CEO. "Three Rivers is a strong community hospital." 

In recent years TRCH, working with its physician partners, added cardiac rehabilitation services, installed a system for fast computer retrieval of X-rays, and brought advanced 64-slice CT scanning technology to the hospital to make high-quality images of the heart and vascular system.

With the new Cardiovascular Lab, Brad Personius, MD; Doug Burwell, MD; and Rick Snider, MD, of Cardiology Consultants will be testing patients for heart disease. Radiologists Jonathan Wood, MD, and Dr. Bryner of Three Rivers Radiology will provide interventional radiology services.