OSF St. Mary Medical Center is proud to have the area’s only Cardiac Catheterization laboratory. The OSF St. Mary Medical Center Cardiac Catheterization lab, or “cath lab” as it is commonly referred, began performing procedures in late 2004. What is it? Cardiac Catheterization is a procedure that is performed on patients who have had a history of chest pain and an abnormal stress test where interventional cardiologists can observe the coronary anatomy. The interventional cardiologist thread tubes into the heart arteries and take movie pictures of the heart arteries to visualize the coronary anatomy to check for blockages.

What is the information used for? Since the interventional cardiologist has visually seen what the coronary anatomy looks like; he/she can determine the proper medical care plan for each individual patient.

Who uses the Catheterization lab? Cardiologists from HeartCare Midwest, Peoria and independent cardiologists from the Peoria area use the OSF St. Mary Medical Center Cardiac Catheterization Lab to perform diagnostic cardiac catheterizations.

Are there other procedures that can be done in the OSF St. Mary Medical Center Catheterization Lab? In addition to diagnostic cardiac catheterizations, OSF St. Mary Medical Center is able to assist vascular surgeons from The Galesburg Clinic, P.C. and Surgical Clinics, Ltd, in performing procedures that correct blockages in the arteries of the kidneys-known as renal stenting, and blockages with leg arteries, a condition called Peripheral Vascular Disease. For more information on cardiac catheterization, renal stenting or Peripheral Vascular disease, please contact your physician or click here for more information from our HealthSteps Magazine.