FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Feb. 27, 2003

—MEDIA ADVISORY—
UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER OPENS TWO NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION SUITES

WHAT:

Heart problems that once required open-heart surgery are increasingly being treated with minimally invasive techniques. UC Davis Medical Center has opened two new cardiac catheterization suites, making this procedure more available to patients in the region. The new suites, part of an overall expansion in the cardiology programs at the UC Davis Heart Center and UC Davis Children's Hospital, provide the latest in technological advances for the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, and offer all diagnostic cardiac catheterization and therapeutic interventional procedures for both adults and children.

WHEN:

TODAY, Thursday, Feb. 27 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.
(Alternate times may be available from noon to 3 p.m. upon request.)

WHERE:

UC Davis Medical Center, Davis Tower, 1st Floor
2315 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento

WHO:

Reginald Low M.D., professor and chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and Mark Parrish M.D., professor and chief of Pediatric Cardiology

VISUALS:

Demonstrations of the 3-D echo ultrasound, cardiac MRI, cardiac CT scans, Intracardiac echo, and other advances in technology and research

PARKING:

Parking garage adjacent to the medical center; present media pass to attendant for complementary parking

UC DAVIS HEART CENTER FACT SHEET

The UC Davis Heart Center and UC Davis Children's Hospital offer a full range of services for adult and pediatric patients with diseases and disorders of the heart, from abnormal heart rhythms and congenital heart disease to coronary artery disease and heart attack. The programs are designed to reduce the risk of heart disease, provide cardiac rehabilitation after a cardiac event, reverse existing coronary artery disease, and provide alternatives to surgical treatments whenever possible. Some of these less invasive procedures include intracardiac echocardiography, balloon angioplasty, balloon valvuloplasty, stent implantations, PFO closure, ASD closure, coronary atherectomy, brachytherapy, alcohol septal ablation and pacemaker implantation.

Under the direction of Reginald Low M.D., professor and chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, the center has grown over the past two years, recruiting new physician specialists, upgrading equipment, and renovating facilities. These developments include:

• Expansion of the electrophysiology program to include two dedicated laboratories for the diagnosis and treatment of complex, life-threatening arrhythmias (heart rhythm disorders) in adults and children. State-of-the-art arrhythmia mapping with Biosense-Carto and ESI facilitates diagnosis and catheter ablation of complex arrhythmias. By identifying patients who are at risk and taking appropriate preventive steps, arrhythmia specialists can save the lives of many people and possibly prevent the need for a permanent pacemaker

• A special inpatient adult cardiology unit on the Davis Tower 6 that offers specialized care and convenience for patients, their families and staff

• Conversion to digital echocardiography imaging systems to allow systemwide electronic access to cardiology images and reports

• Joint pediatric cardiology program with UCSF that offers comprehensive care for children with congenital heart defects and other disorders

• Renovated cardiology laboratories and non-invasive suites in the main hospital for echocardiography, stress testing and stress echo testing

State-of-the-art prevention and treatment programs and caring experienced physicians make UC Davis a unique resource in the region. A few of the centerÕs many specialized programs include: the WomenÕs Cardiovascular Health Clinic, which was among the first in the nation to focus on the special needs of heart care for women; the Heart Disease Reversal Program and the Chest Pain Evaluation team, created through the joint cooperation of the Divisions of Emergency and Cardiovascular Medicine, to quickly assess coronary artery disease risk and provide immediate emergency treatment to rule out heart attack.

Copies of all news releases from UC Davis Health System are available on the Web at
http://news.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu

MEDIA CONTACT:
Carole GanMedical News Office, (916) 734-9047

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