The Heart & Vascular Center at Cookeville Regional Expands
Open House Planned for Electrophysiology Lab
SUBMITTED
Cookeville Regional Medical Center has recently completed construction on a dedicated Electrophysiology (EP) Lab to expand services offered through the hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center and an open house for the general public is planned for July 14 from 4:30 – 6:00 pm. Tours will begin in the hospital’s new main lobby in the new North Patient Tower.
Cardiac Electrophysiology is a sub-specialty of cardiology that deals with the electricity of the heart and treats heart arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and other rhythm disturbances. Cookeville Regional offers a full range of EP services and is fortunate to have Dr. Mark Wathen on staff as a cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology.
Under the leadership of Dr. Wathen, Cookeville Regional was the first hospital in the Southeast and the second in the United States to use a new ICD (Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator) that lessens “unnecessary shocks”. Dr. Wathen played an instrumental role in the development of this new technology now being used by electrophysiologists nationwide. Cookeville Regional was also among the first hospitals in the United States to use the first and only cryoballoon in the nation to treat atrial fibrillation.
EP services at Cookeville Regional include cardiac mapping, cardioversion, radio frequency catheter ablation, cryoablation, ICD implantation, pacemaker insertion, defibrillator threshold testing and transesophageal echocardiogram.
Since 1994 The Heart and Vascular Center at Cookeville Regional has provided much needed cardiac and vascular services in the Upper Cumberland. Since its opening, the Center has grown and expanded to include not only comprehensive diagnostic tests and treatments but also interventional procedures such as angioplasty, stent placement, pacemakers, electrophysiology and arrhythmia procedures, implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation and cardiothoracic surgery (including beating heart, minimally invasive heart surgeries as well as heart valve repair and replacement). Some of the most common vascular conditions treated are aortic aneurysm, carotid artery disease and peripheral artery disease. Boasting a well trained medical staff specializing in treating heart and vascular conditions, The Heart and Vascular Center at Cookeville Regional is staffed by Board-certified cardiologists, vascular surgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons and cardiothoracic anesthesiologists who are supported by a team of healthcare professionals who are specifically trained in the field of cardiac and vascular care.
The Heart and Vascular Center has recently been ranked the best performing hospital in Tennessee and among the top 10% of all hospitals nationwide for coronary interventional procedures from HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.