Northeast Georgia Medical Center Becomes the First and Only Hospital in Georgia Performing Robotic Angioplasty to Save the Lives of Heart Patients

GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is the first – and currently the only – hospital in the state regularly performing robotic angioplasty, thanks to the recent installation of a new CorPath 200 System.  That means when you or someone you love need a stent or balloon to open up blocked arteries and restore blood flow to the heart, NGMC is the only hospital in the state that can offer physician expertise combined with robotic precision.

“It’s remarkable to be the first hospital in the state for this groundbreaking advancement in heart care, and, since we were part of the clinical trial for the robotic equipment, we already have more than a year of experience with these procedures,” says J. Jeffrey Marshall, MD, Medical Director of Cardiac Catheterization Labs at NGMC; interventional cardiologist with Northeast Georgia Heart Center (NGHC); and President of the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions.  “This is the future of heart care, and it’s already here, right now, in Gainesville – not Atlanta.”

Interventional cardiologists sit behind a lead-shielded cockpit during robotic angioplasty, versus standing at the procedure table during traditional angioplasty, and use digital controls to operate the CorPath System as it guides stents and balloons through the catheter and into the patient’s arteries.  Robotic angioplasty offers several benefits versus traditional procedures:

• Improved precision when placing stents in arteries
• Provides an extra set of “hands,” which don’t get tired, during longer procedures
• Less radiation exposure for physicians and staff

“Robotic angioplasty may open the doors to new possibilities and more complex procedures as the technology evolves,” says Mark Leimbach, MD, Chair of the Department of Cardiology at NGMC and an interventional cardiologist with NGHC.  “Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but the implementation of this new technology shows we are thinking outside the box, pushing the boundaries and doing everything we can to try to save the lives of heart patients.”

To find a cardiologist in your area who performs robotic angioplasty, or to learn more about Heart & Vascular Services at NGMC, call 770-219-3840.