Chief of Cardiology, John Coppola, M.D., Internationally Recognized Expert in Transradial Cardiac Catheterization
Procedure Associated with Fewer Complications and Increased Patient Satisfaction
Dr. John Coppola, Chief of Cardiology, is internationally recognized as an expert in performing transradial catheterization. He has been invited to present this procedure to interventional cardiologists in Japan, China and Romania and has received groups of physicians from both Japan and India. Since roughly 45 percent of the catheterizations Dr. Coppola performs are transradial, he is considered one of New York�s most highly experienced physicians in this delicate procedure.
Because transradial cardiac catheterization is more intricate than traditional cardiac catheterization, it demands a higher level of expertise from the physician. Both procedures require that a small catheter tube be inserted into a blood vessel that leads to the heart so that, by injecting a small amount of dye into the tube, the interventionist can locate obstructions within the coronary vessels. However, while the traditional method of catheterization uses the groin as the point of entry, the transradial method uses the wrist, which means that the interventionist much be skilled enough to navigate a much smaller artery.
Patients benefit from this procedure in several ways. Because a smaller artery is used, there is generally less bleeding and discomfort at the insertion point, and the risks of vascular complications that exist when the catheter is inserted in the groin are reduced. In addition, patients who undergo transradial catheterization become ambulatory immediately after the procedure, eliminating complications from bed rest and permitting them to return home sooner.
Dr. Coppola�s expertise in transradial catheterization underscores the fact that St. Vincent�s physicians are setting the pace in many areas of medicine.
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