The Medical City Clark Moves Forward With Hybrid Cath Lab

The Medical City (TMC) Clark expands its advanced range of services with the launch of its Hybrid Catheterization Laboratory, currently the first and only facility of its kind in North and Central Luzon.

TMC Clark is one of the very few hospitals in the country to establish a Hybrid Cath Lab, a state-of-the-art suite that brings together the traditional diagnostic functions of a full catheterization lab and surgical functions of an operating room into one flexible space.

Traditionally, catheterization procedures such as angioplasty or stenting or implantation of a pacemaker would be done in one lab, while open-heart operations would be performed in a separate surgical suite.

TMC Clark’s Hybrid Cath Lab can be described as a life-saving, one-stop-shop for heart patients. The Hybrid Cath Lab incorporates all the equipment, monitoring devices and technology required for cardiac catheterization, as well as cardiac surgery.  The innovative space allows cardiologists to perform catheter-based procedures and surgeons to perform open-heart surgery, producing a higher level of efficiency among the cardiac team.

The combination of these two functions – catheterization and surgical – is especially important in critical care situations when every second counts. The time spent to transfer critical heart patients from the lab to the surgical suite can have a negative impact on the outcome. It saves lives and also enables the Cardiac team to check a critical procedure seconds after it has been performed.

The installation of a Hybrid Cath Lab is a realization of TMC Clark’s commitment to continually find ways to bring quality health care to the region.

On May 5, 2015, 26-year-old Al Ian Cayanan experienced the hospital’s quality health care when he underwent open heart surgery at the Hybrid Cath Lab of TMC Clark.

Cayanan suffered from an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), commonly referred to as a hole in the heart, a type of congenital heart defect where there is an abnormal opening in the dividing wall between the upper chambers of the heart (the atria). He was diagnosed during a pre-employment medical examination.

If left untreated, this hole could cause his heart to weaken and fail. Cayanan and his family were deeply saddened by the diagnosis. He dreamed of giving his family a better life by finding work abroad but the troubling results of his pre-employment check-up threatened to put an end to his dreams.

A doctor recommended open heart surgery, a procedure that is done under general anesthesia and requires the use of a heart-lung machine. Through an incision in the chest, surgeons use patches to close the hole. After the open heart surgery, doctors use imaging techniques to check the repaired area.

Cayanan knew that such a delicate procedure can only be performed in the best hospitals in Metro Manila or abroad. Fortunately for Cayanan, a doctor referred him to TMC Clark which formally opened its doors in January 2015 to serve patients in the region.

“There was no need for us to go to Metro Manila for my treatment. The Medical City Clark has the most advanced facilities and doctors who are the best in their field,” says Cayanan who was the first patient to have a procedure done at the Hybrid Cath Lab.

Cayanan’s team of doctors include Dr. Elaine Payumo, interventional cardiologist; Dr. Roberto Cristobal, Dr. Avenilo Aventura, and Dr. Winston Centeno, thoracic cardiovascular surgeons;   Dr. Donato Magno, cardiologist; Dr. Raul Alvarez and Dr. Ed Cuadro, anesthesiologists;              Dr. Geraldine Te and Dr. Melencio Pena, rehabilitation medicine specialists and Dr. Aaron Hernandez, intensivist.

Cayanan has recovered well from the surgery and has been advised to continue his cardiac rehabilitation at TMC Clark on an out-patient basis.

“We are thankful to our doctors and to the management and staff of The Medical City Clark. Thank you for giving me back my life, my health and my dreams,” says Cayanan.

About The Medical City Clark

The Medical City Clark is the first component of a larger health care complex at the Global Gateway Logistics City (GGLC), a 177-hectare master planned logistics and business center inside the Clark aviation complex which will house new infrastructure amounting to over $15 billion. KGL Investment Company is the principal investor and owner of GGLC.

Situated next to an international airport, TMC Clark provides an excellent platform for building international customer base. It has a full complement of top quality diagnostic and treatment services, drawing from the strengths of institutional centers of excellence. It will also be the official medical facility and trauma/burn center of Clark International Airport.

“The hospital is at the forefront of cardiac care and Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and provides an urgent care center, intensive care unit, medical/surgical care, obstetrics and gynecology unit, pediatrics and pediatric intensive care, neonatal intensive care, ophthalmology and ENT Clinics in addition to comprehensive diagnostic services using some of the latest technology,” says Dr. Cenon R. Alfonso, Chief Executive Officer of TMC Clark.

For inquiries, please call TMC Clark at tel. no. (045) 300-8888.

 – The Medical City Clark