general cardio

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Diagnostic caths, Stress tests, Echo's
 
ive never understoof why anybody other than general interventionalists do caths. i mena, if you find something that needs intervention, you can save time, and reduce patient exposure to cath procedures by simply intervening right then and there. doesnt seem good for a patient to end up having 2 separate procedures.. you know what i mean?
 
copacetic,
I used to think that but then I found out that even out in private practice if an interventionalist is doing the procedure they often go in twice. The first time they define the anatomy/diagnostic cath, and the 2nd time the person gets stented. So it doesn't necessarily save you 1 invasive procedure to have an interventionalist doing the diagnostic cath.
 
copacetic,
I used to think that but then I found out that even out in private practice if an interventionalist is doing the procedure they often go in twice. The first time they define the anatomy/diagnostic cath, and the 2nd time the person gets stented. So it doesn't necessarily save you 1 invasive procedure to have an interventionalist doing the diagnostic cath.

Not sure what you mean here. Most times, you don't go in twice. You use the same access for the diagnostic and then do the stent. The main reason you would do them on separate days are : time for a surgical consult, limit dye due to renal problems, or patient insistence. A patient is not going to tolerate coming in 2 times for a procedure that can be done in 1 day.

The problem is that there are not enough interventionalists to go around. I know one guy (interventionalist) who goes to mulitple hospitals and will do diagnostics at a small hospital that doesnt have interventional capabilities. He'll only do them if there is low chance for an intervention - but if they need a stent, he'll transfer them sheath in place to one of his partners at the main hospital.
 
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