Cardiac Catheterization & Angioplasty

A catherization in progress

The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory is one of the premier services of the Henry Low Heart Center at Hartford Hospital. It offers the most advanced angioplasty techniques in the state-- over 1,500 procedures are performed each year, making it one of the busiest cardiac catheterization labs in the Connecticut. Staffed by skilled physicians who are dedicated exclusively to the performance of cardiac catheterization procedures, the Catheterization Lab provides services 24 hours a day for scheduled and emergency procedures.

Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure used to determine the extent of disease present in the vascular system. The Catheterization Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to provide advanced diagnostic and interventional procedures, including:

• Drug-eluting stents- revolutionary devices that often prevent the need for bypass surgery
• 64-Slice Lightspeed Volume Computed Tomography (VCT) Imaging- an aid in the advanced diagnosis of heart conditions
• Computed Tomography Angiography- a non-invasive, painless test that looks for blocked arteries of the heart by using X-rays to see blood flow of the arteries throughout the body. 

For patients experiencing cardiac emergencies in local community hospitals without catheterization labs or cardiac surgery services, air transport provided by LIFE STAR facilitates access to the live-saving cardiac units at Hartford Hospital.