Royal Surrey opens state-of-the-art lab for heart patients | News

A new state-of-the-art laboratory that can diagnose and treat heart conditions has opened at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust after a half-a-million pound refurbishment. 

The new Cardiac Catheter Laboratory, also known as a ‘Cath Lab’, features a raft of cutting-edge equipment, including the latest X-ray machine not yet used anywhere else in the UK.

A Cath Lab is a specialised X-ray room where a range of heart conditions can be diagnosed and treated using minimally invasive techniques rather than surgery.

Dr. Alvina Amin is the joint Clinical Director of Cardiology at Royal Surrey with Dr. Tarique Musa.

She said: “Cath Labs are a really important part of treating heart conditions and a doctor may send a patient there to diagnose and treat conditions including coronary artery disease, heart attacks, abnormal heart rhythms, and implant pacemakers and loop recorders.

“This significant investment will make sure that we can maintain a high-quality cardiac service for Guildford and Waverley.” 

More than 4,500 patients are treated in the lab each year for planned and emergency procedures, which include the insertion of almost 400 devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardiovascular defibrillators – small devices to treat people with dangerously abnormal heart rhythms.

The lab also carries out 40 electrophysiology tests every year, to assess the electrical system or activity of a patient’s heart and 450 angiograms which are X-rays to check blood vessels. 

During the 12-week refurbishment, the lab, which is open five days a week, was temporarily housed in a specialist relocatable unit within the Trust’s main operating theatres.

The official opening was carried out by Royal Surrey’s Chief Executive, Louise Stead, on Monday 26 June.

Louise said: “This is a fantastic facility that will enhance the high level of specialised care that we can provide.

“Having worked as a cardiology nurse I know first-hand how the procedures performed in the Cath Lab can greatly improve the quality of life for our patients. 

“This investment is another example of Royal Surrey’s commitment to continually improving and providing the very best standards of care for members of our community.”

Photo caption: Louise Stead, Chief Executive (middle left), Dr Michael Hickman, Senior Consultant Cardiologist (middle), Dr Sothinathan Gurunathan – Consultant Cardiologist, Lead for Imaging Echocardiography (far right) with GE Healthcare representatives.