July 2, 2009

It's important for heart patients to know if they're hospital provides open heart backup services. It's available at University Hospital, and plays a big part in heart surgery when angioplasty or stents are not enough to help blocked arteries.

Without a backup system patients would have to transfer to another hospital facility where they can receive better treatment.

Dr. Kraig Wangsnes, an interventional cardiologist at University Hospital tells us, “The patient’s life may be in jeopardy if you have to delay transfer to another hospital to do that, so to have that extra security is comforting to both physician and patient.”

The Director of Cardiovascular Services, Teresa B. Waters, agrees. “That’s the important thing for patients to ask when they go to an emergency department. Do they have open heart in the event that they need it.”

The Director of Cardiovascular Services at University Hospital says they most often use open heart backups when patients come into the ER in denial of their heart health. Shoulder, back and chest pains can quickly turn into an open heart surgery situation.