High-Tech Cath Lab...

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“These changes in technology bring about better outcomes for patients both in the short term and the long term,” Dr. Lowell added. “When we were using mostly balloons, they were not as durable as we would prefer. Later, after stents were more widely used, a substance was developed that made it inert so it wouldn’t react adversely with the body, making them virtually permanent. We can also now place stents more effectively as a result.”

Dr. Lowell pointed out that Saint Clare’s Health employs these types of advanced technologies within the smaller, more intimate confines of its facilities, providing patients with the same advantages found at larger academic hospitals.

“At this point in time, I can comfortably tell you that we have the absolute best imaging, best technology and the most high-quality angioplasty catheterization laboratory services available anywhere in the country. This new technology has taken us leaps further. We are able to assess the physiology of the blood flow characteristics in blood vessels. We are able to see inside of blood vessels,” Dr. Lowell said. “After working in this field, I am able to see things better than before. We are so proud of this lab.”

Along with the benefits created by the use of new technologies, Dr. Lowell outlined how Saint Clare’s provides the rehabilitation and recovery services needed to ensure continued cardiac health.

“From our perspective, we think of our cardiac rehab program as a cardiovascular wellness program. Not only are we treating patients post-heart attack or post-placement of stents, we are treating people with peripheral arterial disease, or who have difficulty walking,” Dr. Lowell said. “What we do is also more than just a program of exercise. Our nurses provide exceptional care. They teach dietetics and lifestyle change, and it becomes a separate community in and of itself.”

“I might also add that our program here at Saint Clare’s Health is perhaps the largest and one of the few programs that offers not only acute cardiac rehab for people who have had a recent incident, but we offer maintenance, which most and

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