CIS & Lane Celebrate Joint Accomplishments and Nearly Six-Year Partnership

Submitted by Bivonia Olivier

ZACHARY—Since collaborating in August of 2006, Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) and Lane Regional Medical Center (Lane) have performed more than 5,000 procedures in the Lane catheterization laboratory to treat patients with cardiovascular disease.  This demonstrates CIS and Lane’s ability to provide the most advanced cardiovascular care in the region.

Additionally, CIS and Lane are celebrating a new record set for door-to-balloon time— an average of 57 minutes for the first quarter of 2012 and for the last quarter of 2011!  This is compared to the national average of 90 minutes.   Door-to-balloon time is a quality measure indicating the amount of time between a heart attack patient's arrival at the emergency room to the time that patient’s blocked artery is reopened in the catheterization lab.

“The community served by Lane is blessed to have dedicated and hard working nurses and technicians who make a difference when it comes to saving lives during a cardiac event,” said Rob Lawrence, Catheterization Laboratory Director at Lane.

Hospitals treating heart attack patients with emergency procedures should reliably achieve a door-to-balloon time of 90 minutes or less according to national guidelines by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA).  This is because the sooner the treatment, the less chance for cardiac muscle damage and the more chance to improve that patient’s quality of life.

“These are remarkable accomplishments by any standard,” said Laura Peel, Lane’s Cardiology Product Line Manager.  “Decreasing door-to-balloon time saves muscle, and in turn saves lives.”

The CIS and Lane partnership has also brought about a multitude of breakthrough cardiovascular technologies to East Baton Rouge Parish for the first time, including:

• The world’s smallest heart pump, called the Impella, to relieve the heart’s pumping function and provide the time needed to initiate life-saving interventions
• Orbital devices, such as the Diamondback 360, to remove arterial blockages
• The ultrasound-assisted CROSSER catheter to enable angioplasty in extreme cases of peripheral vascular disease
• The Supera stent to treat long lesions with low radiation exposure
• The Volcano pressure wire to measure blood pressure within the arteries 
• A  calcium removal system called the Turbohawk
• Heart catheterizations performed via transradial access through the wrist, particularly the left wrist, instead of transfemoral access through the groin

“Our use of transradial approach has increased patient comfort during catheterization procedures and decreased the likelihood of a bleeding event after the procedure,” explained Dr. Deepak Thekkoott, CIS interventional cardiologist in Zachary.  “Patients are traveling to Lane for heart catheterization procedures because we provide the transradial approach.”

About CIS

CIS is one of the most respected groups of cardiologists, representing nearly every specialty in heart and circulatory medicine.  With a team of nearly 500 dedicated team members, CIS serves communities throughout Louisiana, as well as national and international patients, at its 13 clinics.  CIS consistently positions itself at the forefront of technology by providing the most up-to-date technology coupled with compassionate care.  This mission has guided the institute for more than 28 years of service to south Louisiana.  For more information about CIS, call 1-800-425-2565 or visit www.cardio.com. 

About Lane

Celebrating 50 years, Lane Regional Medical Center has experienced a phenomenal evolution, growing from a 40-bed hospital in 1960 to the 141-bed regional facility it is today.  The not-for-profit Lane Regional Medical Center offers a full range of in-patient services, such as cardiology, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, obstetrics/newborn, and rehabilitation care.  Lane also provides a variety of outpatient services, including physical, speech, occupational and respiratory therapies, day surgery, home health, sleep studies, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, wound care, outpatient procedures such as  endoscopy and infusion services and easy access to a full range of laboratory and imaging needs, such as MRI, CT scans, mammography and bone density.  Lane boasts a local network of more than 160 dedicated physicians and 750 caring staff members.  For a physician referral, please call 654-LANE (5263) or visit the website at LaneRMC.org.