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HEALTH NEWS AND INFORMATION
June 2012
A service of Kadlec Regional Medical Center–Tri-Cities
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www.kadlec.org
CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION
Arne’s story
In 2009, Arne Swanson
underwent an emergency
cardiac catheterization performed
through his femoral artery.
Three years later, 55-year-
old Arne had another cardiac
catheterization. This time, the
entry point was a radial artery
in his arm and performed at
Kadlec Regional Medical Center
by interventional cardiologist
Fadi Alqaisi, MD.
For Arne, who is from Pendleton,
Ore. and was transported to
Kadlec from St. Anthony Hospital,
his experience with the radial
catheterization was significantly
different.
“Dr. Alqaisi asked if I would
consider a radial catheterization,”
said Arne. “He carefully explained
it and I agreed.
“When it was over, I couldn’t
believe it. It was quick, pain free
and Dr. Alqaisi talked me through
the procedure,” said Arne. “The
recovery was so different and
much easier. I am extraordinarily
impressed with Dr. Alqaisi. He is
in full mastery of the procedure.
He is very caring and made
certain I fully understood what
was happening.”
Arne was also impressed
with the care at Kadlec. “The
Emergency Department treated
us with respect, and the nursing
staff was very professional.
The customer service was
incredible.”
I
magine how revolutionary it
was in the 1950s to suggest
threading a thin tube through
a patient’s artery toward the
heart to clear blockages, deliver
medicine or position a stent.
Since that time, millions of
patients have successfully
undergone such a procedure;
it is called cardiac catheterization
and is available at Kadlec Regional
Medical Center, the only hospital
in the region offering this often
lifesaving procedure.
For years, the entry point for
the thin tube has been the femoral
artery in the leg. Now, some
medical centers, including Kadlec,
offer a new access point — the
radial artery in the wrist.
“The femoral artery can be
challenging,” said Fadi Alqaisi, MD,
Kadlec interventional cardiologist.
“It can be difficult to access,
particularly in an overweight
person. Also, stopping the bleeding
at the needle entry site requires
heavy pressure, and patients must
remain in the hospital, lying quietly
for as long as six hours.”
In contrast, “the radial artery is
easier to access,” he said. “The patient
can sit up immediately after the
procedure and a band similar to a
wristwatch is used to put pressure on
the entry site to stop the bleeding.
Patients have less bruising, recover
faster and can drive the next day.”
Since not all patients are able to
have the radial procedure, “we do an
exam to be certain it is appropriate,”
said Dr. Alqaisi. “I have patients
who have had both procedures
and most prefer the radial cath.”
two
Fadi Alqaisi, MD