Cardiac rhythm management and bradycardia pacemaker implantation services have been enhanced for patients at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester with the installation of a new Alphenix Sky ceiling-mounted C-arm there.
The creation of the bespoke pacing theatre, a turnkey project with Canon Medical Systems UK, included replacing the existing 15-year-old system with the latest interventional imaging technology to improve image quality, reduce dose, and speed up procedures. The room’s remodelling also included lighting modifications to enable greater versatility of pacing on both sides of the patient.
Gareth Buckingham, the hospital’s Cath Lab manager, said: “Chester has a growing ageing population, and our pacemaker workload is increasing by about 7% year-on-year. Addressing 400 cases every year makes us one of the area’s bigger centres. We’re also seeing an increased need for subpectoral pacemaker implantation, burying them a bit deeper, which previously meant patients having to be sent elsewhere. Now, we have the set-up to undertake the procedure here in our Cath Lab with the Alphenix Sky.
“Having a new and productive pacing theatre adjoining our Cardiology Day Unit also really assists with patient flow. We try and pace within 24 hours of referral. A good, robust fixed C-arm has enhanced image quality and quickened clinical interpretation. Improving quality was our aim, and this is what the Alphenix system has helped us deliver. The Canon Medical turnkey team was excellent to work with, with the project planned well in advance, and superb collaboration with the wider hospital teams. We had a good plan and kept on schedule, which was key, as we had to share any downtime with endoscopy or theatre.”
Pictured is Polly Taylor, Senior radiographer at the Countess of Chester Hospital, operating the Alphenix ceiling-mounted C-arm
Canon Medical offers a full range of diagnostic medical imaging solutions, including CT, X-ray, ultrasound, vascular and MR, and a full suite of healthcare IT solutions, ‘across the globe’.
