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“In this day and age, the majority of the procedures we do in the Cath Lab are extremely safe, quick and useful,” said Mark A. Apfelbaum, MD, Director of the NewYork-Presbyterian System Cardiac Catheterization Labs at the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center as well as Director of the Cath Lab at NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital.
“Because many Westchester residents were traveling from Westchester to Columbia for their heart care, we opened the Cath Lab at NYP Lawrence to provide Westchester residents with the same safe and effective procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease as performed at NYP/Columbia,” said Dr. Apfelbaum.
Dr. Apfelbaum leads a team of renowned interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists from ColumbiaDoctors, the faculty practice of Columbia University Medical Center, which is part of the #1 ranked heart program in New York State and #3 in the country according to U.S. News and World Report “Best Hospitals” survey.
“Time is muscle in the setting of an acute heart attack, which means that every minute an artery is closed and we are not restoring blood flow with a balloon or stent results in more permanent damage to the heart muscle, leading to a weaker heart and poorer long-term survival,” explained Dr. Apfelbaum. “Three years ago, if a patient came into the hospital with a heart attack, we would have transported him down to Columbia, which could take two to three hours of critical time,” he added. “Now, if someone comes to NYP Lawrence, he or she can be treated quickly right here at the Cath Lab by top Columbia doctors.”
The Cath Lab is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Emergency and elective procedures offered include coronary balloon angioplasty and coronary stenting to improve heart blood flow; diagnostic procedures such as coronary angiogram and cardiac imaging procedures to visualize the arteries of the heart and evaluate the efficiency of heart valves; electrophysiology studies to diagnose heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and treatments for arrhythmias including pacemakers, defibrillators and heart rhythm monitors. Patients who require more advanced tertiary cardiac care have seamless access to the heart specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.
The Cath Lab at NYP Lawrence continues to expand available procedures to better serve the patients’ needs. According to Dr. Apfelbaum, “An enormous benefit of the Cath Lab is our ability to treat heart attack patients as quickly as possible to save the heart muscle, preserve heart function and increase their chances of survival.”
To find a cardiologist call 914-787-5000. To learn more about our services visit nyp.org/lawrence.
