WakeMed Heart Center Departments

The following departments are located within the WakeMed Heart Center:

• Invasive Cardiology
• Cardiovascular Testing
• Observation Units
• Heart & Vascular Surgery

The Heart Center is home to 11 procedure rooms.  Of those, eight are used for catheterization, interventional cardiology and peripheral vascular labs, including a "Swing Lab" that allows imaging equipment used in catheterization procedures to pivot from one room to another to increase efficiency.  The other three rooms are dedicated to Electrophysiology Studies and Ablations, Pacemaker and AICD Implants and other EP procedures, including Cardioversion and Tilt Tests.

In 2005, cardiologists at WakeMed performed the following procedures:

• 11,793 diagnostic catheterizations
• 4,888 angioplasties, stent and interventional cardiology
• 2,189 peripheral vascular studies and interventions
• 741 carotid diagnostic and stent insertions
• 1,163 Pacemaker and AICD implants
• 2,621 electrophysiology studies and ablations/interventions
  

Our state-of-art labs use digital imaging and a T-1 line that links several eastern NC hospitals and physicians to the WakeMed Heart Center via computer.  Cardiologists are able to assess a patient's condition before they arrive to the WakeMed Heart Center for intervention procedures, and physicians at connected hospitals can get a second opinion or track their patient's progress by viewing procedures shortly after they are performed.

In Heart and Vascular Surgical Services, there are four dedicated operating rooms where 1,293 heart and other cardiac surgeries were performed in 2004. Dedicated nurses with specialized training in caring for surgery patients support the team of experts incardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery.