Outcomes 2016 - Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital FY 2016 | Page 31

ACE ACCREDITED FOR PCI AND CC
Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital has been fully reaccredited for percutaneous coronary
intervention (PCI) and cardiac catheterization (CC) by ACE, the Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence, an
organization dedicated to ensuring adherence to the highest quality standards for cardiovascular and endovascular
care. ACE accreditation is a professional review of an organization's structure, internal processes, patient safety
practices, and clinical outcomes to determine if it meets the standards established by experts in cardiac and
endovascular care.
Tr ansr adial Cardiac Catheterization – Cardiac Cath
Through the Wrist
More than one million heart catheterizations are completed
in this country every year. It i s a safe and effective procedure
to both look for blockages in the heart and treat blockages. At
Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital, we continue to
improve safety, reduce hospital stays, and improve the patient
experience by performing these procedures through a tiny
puncture in the wrist.
Traditionally, this procedure has been done from a puncture
in the leg, but studies have shown that by going through the
wrist, physicians can achieve the same results, with a shorter
hospital stay, and with less bleeding or discomfort.
Performed at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital
since 1996, the procedure received greater attention after
2010 and 2011 with studies showed a reduction in mortality
rates for high-risk patients who underwent transradial cardiac
catheterization rather than the traditional transfemoral approach
where the catheter is introduced through femoral artery.
Jeffrey M. Schussler, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSCCT, FACP,
cardiologist on the medical staff at Baylor Hamilton Heart and
Vascular Hospital, helped lead a team who published data in
2016 confirming the safety and efficacy of this procedure. As
a medical leader for quality and safety, as well as the medical
director for cardiovascular intensive care (CVICU), Dr.
Schussler is a big proponent of this technique.
“Patients who have had this procedure both ways usually state
that they prefer to have the procedure from the wrist. While
there is a small reduction in risk, the real reason to do this is
to improve the patient experience. It allows for shorter stays
in the hospital. Nearly 100 percent of patients who have this
procedure for diagnostic purposes go home the same day,”
says Dr. Schussler, who also serves as medical director of both
CVICU and cardiac rehabilitation.
“This process reduces the incidence of recovery complications
including bleeding and other issues. Our own data shows a
near zero vascular complication rate from transradial cardiac
catheterization,” he adds.
The transradial approach does not require strict bedrest as is
usual for a catheterization from the leg. Patients can eat almost
immediately, and are able to go home in a few hours. For some
patients, especially the elderly, lying motionless on the back for
up to eight hours may be challenging. Because the radial artery
in the wrist is small, the patient can move off the cath lab table
immediately after the procedure has been completed. After
a brief recovery, individually dependent, patients typically
resume normal activities in a few days.
Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular
Hospital is one of the highest volume
radial centers in North Texas. We’ve
performed thousands of these
procedures through the transradial
approach. While not all patients are
appropriate for this approach, we are
seeing it become the procedure of first choice for many
patients. It is an excellent addition to our extensive
array of interventional cardiology treatments, including
the traditional transfemoral catheterization procedure
which still comprises a large percentage of the cardiac
catheterizations performed at Baylor Hamilton Heart
and Vascular Hospital.
Jeffrey M. Schussler, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSCCT, FACP
Medical Director of CVICU and
Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation
OUTCOMES 2016
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