Silver Cross New Lenox opens outpatient heart and vascular center

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox recently opened its Outpatient Heart and Vascular Center.

The Silver Cross Outpatient Heart and Vascular Center is intended for patients “requiring relatively minor heart and vascular procedures,” according to a news release from Silver Cross Hospital.

Katie Lowe, clinical director of cardiology, said the release that the center provides “a more comfortable atmosphere for outpatient heart/vascular procedures” for patients at minimal risk for complications.

“The new center also frees up resources in the main hospital for more acute (and emergent) heart care cases,” Lowe added in the release.

Treatments available at the Silver Cross Heart and Vascular Center include minimally invasive interventional radiology procedures such as paracentesis, port insertion and removal and other ultrasound-guided procedures; cardiac catheterizations; and percutaneous coronary intervention, according to the release.

Percutaneous coronary intervention is a commonly performed cardiac procedure to open obstructed coronary arteries, according to the release.

“With a separate facility for outpatient procedures, patients will also have less exposure to hospital-acquired infections,” Lowe said in the release.

In addition, the radial-artery approach will be used for patients undergoing cardiac catheterizations and interventions, versus using the femoral artery in the groin, according to the release.

The radial-artery approach minimizes post-procedure bleeding and complications, promotes faster recovery and makes the procedure more comfortable for the patient, according to the release.

Patients will receive these outpatient procedures from the same doctors and staff at Silver Cross’ main hospital, Lowe said in the release. Scheduling will be easier and more accessible for patients and the doctors performing procedures, according to the release.

Any patient requiring a “higher level of care after a procedure” will be referred or transported to the hospital, according to the release.

The Silver Cross Outpatient Heart and Vascular Center is located on the second floor of the Silver Cross Procedure Center (formerly called Silver Cross Endoscopy Center), 678 Cedar Crossings Drive in New Lenox, on the east side of the hospital campus, according to the release.

The Silver Cross Procedure Center still provides upper and lower endoscopies – including colonoscopy – on the first floor, according to the release.

For more information, visit silvercross.org.

Know More

According to the news release from Silver Cross Hospital:

• The Silver Cross Heart and Vascular Center maintains the same safety and quality metrics as the main hospital’s Interventional and Cardiac Catheterization Labs.

• The center participates in the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry.

• The Silver Cross Heart and Vascular Center follows the guidelines of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions.