Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

The Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute's new Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories will be furnished with high-tech integrated equipment to enhance the care plan for children and will significantly increase access to both adult and pediatric procedures

Currently, there are two active laboratories located at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. The two labs located at the University of Alberta Hospital will move into the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute later this year, joined by a third lab largely for pediatrics, bringing the total number of labs in the region to five.

At Capital Health's catheterization laboratories, a variety of cardiac procedures are performed including angiogram, angioplasty, cardiac biopsy, and percutaneous valve procedures that minimize the need for more invasive heart surgery. These progressive laboratories make use of thrombolytics, drug-eluting stents, atherectomy, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), balloon pumps, and excisors.

The heart institute's laboratories will also be equipped to conduct intracardiac ultrasound (ICE) imaging. These ultrasounds measure coronary blood flow and reconstruct 3-D images of cardiac arteries. ICE imaging will also be linked by technology to interact through live case presentations with experts around the world to support the exchange of knowledge and skills.

Cardiologists also make use of the laboratories to participate in active research programs, clinical trials, and education of health-care professionals, including the training of clinical fellows. Eleven cardiologists perform adult cardiac catheterization procedures, of which six are interventionalists, and two pediatric cardiologists specialize in both areas.

Referral Information
Adult and pediatric patients are referred to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory through a cardiologist.

Contact Information
Once the referral is received, laboratory staff contacts the patient with an appointment time, as well as pre- and post-procedural instructions.

Currently, contact information for the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital is being provided to patients. If the patient needs to reschedule, he/she contacts the University of Alberta Hospital laboratory booking office directly at 780-407-8835 or the Royal Alexandra Hospital laboratory booking office directly at 780-735-5413.

Important Patient Note:
Patients receiving angiograms should expect to stay at the acute care centre for the day. Patients who receive angioplasties are kept overnight.

Location
The patient registration desk for the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at the University of Alberta Hospital is located on the second floor at 2C2.26, on the south-west side of the Walter C. Mackenzie Centre, near Dentistry. Please see the Level 2 map, for more information.

The patient registration desk for the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at the Royal Alexandra Hospital is located in the Diagnostic Treatment Centre within the main Active Treatment Centre building. Please see the Royal Alexandra Hospital information sheet for more information.

Parking
Public parking is available at metered, underground, surface, and parkade lots on site. For information on hourly, weekly, and monthly parking, as well as locations, please see the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute information sheet.

Public parking at the Royal Alexandra Hospital is available at metered, surface, and parkade lots on site. For information on hourly, weekly, and monthly parking, as well as locations, please see the Royal Alexandra Hospital information sheet.

About angiograms and angioplasties                                                                  
Arteries can become blocked over time from a build up of fats and cholesterol. Narrowed arteries impede oxygenated blood flow to the heart. If blood can't flow through your arteries, a patient may develop chest pain called angina. If the blood flow to the heart is totally blocked, a heart attack can occur.

To check for blockages or narrowed spots in the arteries, a cardiologist performs an angiogram, which is a type of x-ray. During an angiogram, a special camera is used to look at the arteries that feed blood to your heart.

If a blockage is found, the cardiologist may elect to perform an angioplasty. Coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen arteries narrowed or blocked by atherosclerosis, a build up of fatty deposits in the lining of the blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the heart. Depending on the location, number, and the severity of the blockage, angioplasty provides an alternative treatment to bypass surgery.
 
Where can I find more information?
Capital Health and other organizations support online resources on angiograms, angioplasty, as well as heart health. These resources should be used as a general guideline only. Individual assessment, interpretations, and advice by your cardiologist should always be your most important resource.

For more information, please see:

• What is a coronary angiogram?
  This page includes information on:
  
  What will happen in the test?
  How will it feel?
  How long does the test last?
  What about after the test?
• Heart School: Education resources
• Recommended resources: Visit these web sites for more information about your heart and cardiovascular health.