Staff members from several local ambulance services were treated to lunch Thursday at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica, which used the event to reveal details on its upcoming angioplasty and stenting program.
Representatives from West Georgia Ambulance, Air Evac Lifeteam, the Douglas County Fire Department, MetroAlanta Ambulance Service and other local agencies enjoyed a catered lunch while Shazib Khawaja, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist with Tanner Heart & Vascular Specialists and medical operations leader for Tanner Heart Care, went through the steps Tanner is taking to expand its angioplasty services to Villa Rica.
Angioplasty is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure used to treat heart attacks. It is often faster and more effective at relieving symptoms and preserving heart tissue than thrombolytic drugs — also called “clot busters,” which are intended to dissolve the blockage that is preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart — and is less invasive and offers a faster recovery than cardiac bypass surgery.
During angioplasty, an interventional cardiologist inserts a thin tube, called a catheter, through a small incision and into a large artery, usually in the arm or leg. The cardiologist threads the catheter through the arteries to the blockage impeding the flow of blood to the heart. A small balloon on the end of the catheter is gently inflated, clearing the blockage and restoring the flow of blood to the heart. Often, a tiny tube of wire mesh, called a stent, is inserted at the site to prevent future blockages.
It’s essential to provide angioplasty quickly to someone experiencing a heart attack, since the longer the heart is deprived of blood, the more heart tissue dies.
Tanner has offered angioplasty and stenting procedures, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton since 2006. Historically, when a patient experiencing a heart attack arrived at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica, he or she was quickly transferred to Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton to receive the lifesaving angioplasty treatment.
By expanding the service to Villa Rica, Tanner will be able to more quickly deliver lifesaving cardiac care to residents in northern Carroll, western Douglas and southern Paulding counties.
Tanner Heart Care staff has been paying visits to area ambulance agencies in recent weeks to discuss the growing angioplasty program and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica’s new designation as a destination for care.
While meeting with first responders Thursday, Dr. Khawaja discussed the protocols Tanner has put in place to ensure good clinical outcomes for patients. He also provided a presentation on how pervasive cardiovascular disease is in the region, the risk factors for heart attacks and answered questions on the benefit of transporting patients to Tanner for treatment.
Bonnie Boles, MD, administrator of Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica, and LaQuinta Grizzard, RN, director for Tanner Heart Care, also spoke with the responders and discussed the treatment process in place at Tanner.
“The result of adding angioplasty to our services in Villa Rica is that there are going be fewer ambulances screaming down Highway 61 south, followed by cars carrying terrified loved ones,” said Dr. Boles. “We’re going to be able to take care of that patient right here, and right away. And with a heart attack, speed can make all the difference.”
More information on Tanner’s cardiac services is available online at www.TannerHeartCare.org.