Cardiac Catheterization Labs

Cardiac catheterization is performed to further diagnose coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure, and/or certain congenital (present at birth) heart conditions. In cardiac catheterization (often called cardiac cath), a very small hollow tube, or catheter, is advanced from a blood vessel in the groin or arm through the aorta and into the heart. Once the catheter is in place, several diagnostic techniques may be used. The tip of the catheter can be placed into various parts of the heart to measure the pressures within the chambers and how much oxygen is in the blood. It's also used to get information about the pumping ability of the heart muscle. The catheter can be advanced into the coronary arteries where a contrast dye can injected into the arteries. The use of fluoroscopy (a special type of X-ray, similar to an X-ray "movie") assists our physicians in the location of blockages in the coronary arteries as the contrast dye moves through the arteries.

Our specialized capabilities include:

• Angioplasty and stent placements. We perform 10 times more angioplasties and stent placements than all other hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean (New Jersey) counties combined.
• Coronary Artery Rotoblator
• Pacemaker Implantation
• Cardio Defibrillator Implantation
• Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (Biventricular Pacing)
• Athrectomy
• Thrombectomy
• Valvularplasty
• Intavascular Ultrasound (IVUS)
• Intra Aortic Balloon Pumps
• Peripheral Stent Procedures
• Carotid Stents
• Electrophysiology Ablations

For more information about Jersey Shore's Catheterization Lab, please call
732-776-4762 or if you need a physician referral, call Meridian Health Line toll free at
1-800-560-9990 or visit our online physician directory.