A new digital imaging system is advancing care and improving safety at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. The recently installed GE Innova IGS 520 is the industry’s latest all-digital imaging system for Interventional Cardiology.
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions. The catheter, a narrow, tube-like instrument, is guided through patients’ blood vessels to the heart. It can be used to find heart defects or disease, or to help in angioplasties and stent placement. The technique requires great accuracy, and imaging equipment in the catheterization lab helps ensure that the catheter is following the right path.
“The improved imaging is a real step forward. It allows the physician to see the stent more clearly prior to deploying it,” said Peter Greenlees, Director of the Catheterization Lab at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
The IGS 520 allows for better imaging during the procedure with more sophisticated digital tools. It also allows for significantly less radiation to be used during x-rays and other imaging procedures. “It is much safer for both patients and staff,” Greenlees said.
The new equipment has even expanded the catheterization lab’s range of services. The improved imaging means it can be used in non-coronary angiography, which allows for procedures on the peripheral arteries.
