Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1243746
BY DAVA STEWART A S A LE ADER IN ADVANCED, SPECIALIZED CARDIOVA SCUL AR CARE, WELLSPAN HE ALTH USES LE ADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY AND COMPREHENSIVE PROGR AMS TO PROVIDE PATIENTS WITH MORE OPTIONS AND ULTIMATELY IMPROVE QUALIT Y OF LIFE. IN DECEMBER 2019, WellSpan York Hospital officially opened the facility's expanded cardiac catheterization lab. As part of its dedication to providing advanced cardiac care for even the most complex cases, WellSpan York Hospital's enhanced cath lab allows physicians to perform procedures more quickly and accurately than in the past. PRECISION AS PRIORITY WellSpan York Hospital is the first facility in the world to use a 4D imaging system exclusively for nonsurgical heart and vascular procedures. The Canon Alphenix 4D CT system drastically improves the images physicians see before and during procedures. "In most facilities, procedures are done using an X-ray and a CT scan in combination, but the problem is that the heart moves, and if you conduct X-ray and traditional CT imaging of the muscle in motion, it's blurry," says James Harvey, MD, Director of the Structural Heart Program at WellSpan. "The 4D CT scanning system is sequenced to the EKG, so doctors can see the movement, which allows for much greater accuracy." Four-dimensiona l CT is not exclusive to WellSpan, but WellSpan's use of the technology makes it a world leader in its approach to cardiovascular intervention. The 4D CT system will also allow WellSpan's team to lead breakthrough clinical research efforts. "We are the only place in the world with two state-of-the-art systems in the same room," Dr. Harvey says. "Because we have the 4D CT within the cath lab, we can do procedures with better accuracy, less dye, less radiation and in less time, which ultimately leads to better outcomes." IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS WellSpan York Hospital's joining of the 4D CT with the cath lab also means that patients do not have to be transferred between departments. Along with facilitating efficiency in care delivery, moving patients less decreases the risk of infection. "Cardiologists everywhere use CT scanning to do preplanning for the procedure," Dr. Harvey says. "The big difference at WellSpan is that the planning can be done in the same room as the cath lab." Innovative Technology Improves Outcomes for Cardiovascular Patients at WellSpan One of the new catheterization labs at WellSpan York Hospital that includes the Canon Alphenix 4D CT system. 0 4❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R S T O R Y