TWO new facilities at University Hospital Limerick are making inroads in treating heart emergencies and ongoing heart conditions, the Regional Health Forum West was told.
The two new cath labs at UHL create the capacity to increase the number of cardiology procedures and expand the range of procedures available to cardiology patients in the Mid West, Cllr Rita McInerney following a question about the operating hours of the labs.
“The laser-guided therapy technology allows for higher imaging quality, management of more complex cases here in the Mid West, and greater safety for cardiologists who are exposed to higher radiation doses than any other healthcare worker,” Ian Carter, CEO Mid West Acute and Older People Services, HSE Mid West, said.
The new facilities “will further enhance UHL’s capacity as a nationally-designated 24/7 primary percutaneous coronary intervention centre,” he added.
“UHL is already one of Ireland’s best-performing centres for care of patients with STEMI heart attacks, which are among the most serious of coronary events.”
New procedures available include renal arterial denervation for life-threatening hypertension and structural procedures such as cardiac valve replacement.
The new labs also create capacity for future provision of electrophysiology procedures for complex arrhythmias and other electrical heart activities.
Mr Carter said they are a “major step forward in tackling waiting lists for procedures and wait times for routine outpatient appointments. This means fewer referrals outside the region or to the private sector, and less reliance on lifelong drug therapies for conditions not surgically treated.”
