Cardiac Catheterization Lab Performs 85,000th Procedure

Florence, AL—Cardiologists and staff at North Alabama Medical Center’s Cardiac Cath Lab treated its 85,000th patient in January. The cath lab opened in 1978. Angioplasties began in 1986. Since February 2016, the crew has performed more than 5,000 procedures.

Chester Payne received the milestone heart cath that he says saved his life. Payne has a long history of hereditary heart problems. On January 21, 2018, he received his 13th stent. “You know you’ve been here too often when the cath lab staff know you by name,” joked Payne as he waved to a nurse. All Payne’s procedures were performed at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital.

North Alabama Medical Center is an accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI and was reaccredited by the American College of Cardiology in October 2017.

Dr. Bill Heaton performed the heart cath procedure on Payne after a recent heart attack. According to Payne, he had a 50/50 rate of survival, but that was a risk he was willing to take. “Dr. Heaton took excellent care of me over the years and I knew I was in good hands. You could see true, heartfelt concern when he was explaining what he’d be doing during this latest stent,” said Payne.

“The number of heart caths performed here is truly amazing,” said Ricky Williams, Cardiac Cath Lab Director. “This illustrates our patient’s commitment and trust in the dedicated physicians and staff we have at North Alabama Medical Center.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 730,000 Americans suffer from a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort.