Cardiology

At VIMS Hospitals, our cardiology department is one of the most advanced specialty departments in Salem. We offer a fully functional Cardiac Department catering to both interventional and non-interventional cardiology needs. These include full diagnostic procedures such as angiography of the heart, pulmonary and coronary arteries as well as advanced diagnostic testing like intra-vascular ultrasound or Doppler to evaluate the flow or blockages in all suspicious cases of the coronary arteries. Our Cardiac Cath Lab is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to treat any level of cardiac patients who require immediate intervention, whether for heart attacks, rhythm abnormalities, structural heart disease, or carotid and vascular interventions.

VIMS Hospitals, Department of Cardiology, offers a full continuum of cardio-medical care for patients across all age groups. Our dedicated team of internationally trained and experienced cardiology professionals provides high-quality care for all our patients.

Our state-of-the-art catheterization laboratory (Cath Lab) at VIMS Hospitals, Salem is fully-fitted to handle complicated cases and treatments such as ablation, angiography, angioplasty, and the implantation of pacemakers and ICDs. With one of the few 24/7 Cath Labs, many of the most complicated cases have been treated at our cardiac center.

The lab uses an intelligent flat screen system and advanced digital and Doppler technology that is capable of accommodating all kinds of cardiovascular procedures like opening a blocked artery in the heart or brain or down in the foot.

During coronary angiography, a small catheter or tube is inserted through the skin into an artery in the groin or the hand. Through a special x-ray viewing instrument, the catheter is moved to the opening of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. A small amount of solution containing iodine is injected into each artery. The images that are produced are called angiograms, which accurately reveal the blockages.

Depending on the severity of the blockage in the artery, our experts prescribe the insertion of a stent during the angiography itself. A stent supports the artery walls to prevent them from narrowing again after the angioplasty. Our cardiologists at VIMS Hospitals are highly proficient in performing stent procedures that require a fine eye for detail and are assisted with high-precision instruments with the patient’s comfort as the priority.

An angioplasty is a surgical, endovascular procedure that is minimally invasive and is used to widen obstructed or narrowed blood vessels (arteries and veins) around the heart in order to restore the natural flow of blood. In pathological terms, angioplasty is called percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI. Angioplasty can help relieve symptoms of blocked and clogged arteries and is often performed immediately after a heart attack. The coronary angioplasty procedure uses a small balloon catheter to open up the clogged heart arteries, improving the blood flow to the heart. Sometimes, this process is combined with the placement of a metal stent in the artery to help keep the coronary artery wall open.