Cardiology - Primary Angioplasty

Primary Angioplasty

Angioplasty is the most effective procedure to save lives and reduce damage to the heart muscle when patients are suffering a heart attack. Performing emergency angioplasty within 90 minutes of the onset of a heart attack has proven to minimize heart damage in 95 percent of all cases. Melrose-Wakefield Hospital (MWH) is now the first hospital in the 16 cities and towns it serves to offer this procedure in their state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab.

Minimizing heart damage and restoring blood flow

When a patient meets a specific clinical criteria the emergency angioplasty team performs a cardiac catheterization to locate the blockage. Then, the team inserts another catheter with a balloon on the end and guides it to the blockage. The doctor performs the angioplasty by inflating the balloon. Blood flow is restored to the artery and in most cases a stent is inserted to keep the artery open.

Primary angioplasty restores blood flow to a blocked coronary artery in a timely manner. Studies have shown that emergency angioplasty works better than clot-busting medications. Quickly performing angioplasty reduces damage to the heart muscle.

Partnering with leading tertiary hospitals in Boston

Melrose-Wakefield Hospital's efforts to offer the most advanced cardiac care available at a community hospital, will save more lives. The angioplasty team includes interventional cardiologists: Co-director of Cardiac and Endovascular Services, Carl Turissini, MD, Laurence Conway, MD, David Criss, MD, and Khether Raby, MD, as well as a team of highly-trained nurses and technologists.

Melrose-Wakefield Hospital's cardiac catheterization lab is a state-of-the-art center where angioplasty is performed. The hospital invested in cutting-edge diagnostic equipment including the installation of advanced, film-less, digital imaging equipment.