Bayshore Medical Center surgical patients are administered anesthesia service exclusively by anesthesiologists who are by board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology. Bayshore Medical Center does not use the services of nurse anesthetists in any of our surgical services. We offer full service anesthesia services.

ANGIOGRAPHY SUITE
The two Angiography Suites (also known as special procedures rooms) at Bayshore Medical Center are used for performing invasive medical procedures that require a sterile environment but not the full capabilities of an operating room. The newest "specials" room at Bayshore Medical Center provides sophisticated computer enhanced imaging that allows physicians to do all procedures faster and safer because of the lower radiation doses required.

Special procedures are less invasive than traditional open surgery. They can sometimes make surgery unnecessary and other times provide a precise diagnosis to make surgery easier. Our 3D workstation makes better visualization of disease possible.

An Interventional Radiologist is a physician specialist who uses computerized images to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of the arteries and veins throughout the body excluding the heart. Heart imaging is performed in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab.

Examples of procedures performed in an Angiography Suite include: uterine fibroid embolizations; percutaneous vertebroplasty for compression fractures of the spine; tumor embolizations for treatment of cancer in the liver and other organs; peripheral vascular studies for treatment of blocked arteries in the legs and sophisticated diagnostic studies for the blood vessels that supply the brain.

AVEA VENTILATOR SYSTEM
Bayshore Medical Center was the first hospital in Houston to invest in the latest ventilator system available. Our twenty-five AVEA ventilators offer a comprehensive system for use by patients of all ages, providing accurate monitoring, more comfortable breathing, safer treatment and proven reduced lengths of ventilator stay.

Cardiovascular Services at Bayshore Medical Center
We are very proud of the high quality cardiovascular care our modern technology and services allow us to offer our heart patients. Our wide range of services includes open heart surgery, two modern cardiac catheterization labs, electrophysiology lab, non-invasive cardiovascular testing and treatments and our cardiac rehabilitation program for post surgical cardiac patients.

Bayshore Medical Center has been recognized in Money
Magazine as one of America's Best Hospitals for treatment of congestive heart failure.

The following explains the many heart related diagnostic and treatment services we offer:

OPEN HEART SURGERY
Cardiovascular Surgery procedures offered at Bayshore Medical Center include coronary artery bypass, heart valve replacement, carotid endarterectomy and aneurysm repair.

EECP
Bayshore Medical Center recently began offering Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) for patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure and angina whose treatment options have been exhausted.  EECP is an outpatient treatment, typically provided in 35, one-hour sessions over a period of approximately seven weeks.  The patient receives this painless treatment while lying on a table specifically designed for this therapy.  Compression cuffs (similar to large blood pressure cuffs) are securely wrapped around the patient's calves, thighs and buttocks.  These cuffs inflate and deflate in a rhythm timed to optimize therapeutic benefit to the patient.  The EECP therapy has been clinically proven to increase cardiac perfusion and thereby reducing angina. 

CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LAB
Cardiac Catheterization (heart cath) is a diagnostic procedure which allows cardiologists to visualize and assess the severity of coronary artery disease and demonstrate how well the valves and muscle of the heart are working. This is presently the "gold standard" for testing heart disease.
Angioplasty (P.T.C.A. or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) is the common name for the balloon procedure. In the balloon procedure, the cardiologist inflates a catheter-guided balloon in an area of restriction in a coronary artery.
Coronary Stents are used in cases where the artery might not stay open with ordinary balloon inflations. The stents are made of expanding metal and act as an additional internal support structure that assists in holding the artery open.
Drug-Eluting Stents are available for use in certain types of coronary artery blockages. The stents slowly emit a drug into the tissue at the site of the blockage. This drug slows the cell growth in the immediate vicinity of the stent placement. These are also limited in the types of blockages they can be used for due to their construction.
Brachytherapy is the use of radioactive material to slow the regrowth of tissues at the stent site. This technique is very useful in stented arteries that have started to block off again.
Peripheral Vascular Studies relates to blockage of vessels other than the arteries of the heart. These studies include aortas, carotid arteries, and arteries to the arms and legs. Angioplasty and stenting are also available much like the treatments for coronary blockages.

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY LAB
Cardiac Electrophysiology is the study of heart rhythm disturbances. Patients experiencing heart rhythm disturbances often describe their symptoms as "a racing heart", "skipped beats", dizziness, and/or passing out. Often symptoms are associated with shortness of breath, decreased activity tolerance and/or chest discomfort. The Electrophysiology Laboratory offers sophisticated diagnostic and interventional procedural techniques used in the treatment and management of patients with heart rhythm disturbances. Procedures offered include, Tilt Table Testing, Electrophysiology Studies, Radiofrequency Ablation, Cardioversion, Permanent Pacemaker Implantation, and Implantation of the Automatic Cardioverter Defibrillator. Electrophysiology Testing is a procedure that will enhance the physician's ability to more clearly and accurately diagnose and treat fast and slow heart rhythm disorders. Radiofrequency Ablation is a relatively new technology that is being utilized to "cure" specific heart rhythm disorders, potentially saving the patient from a life of medication therapy. Consultations and evaluations are ordered by your physician and the procedures are performed by an electrophysiologist. If you are interested in more information, call (713) 357-1821.

CARDIAC REHABILITATION
Patients who have had heart surgery, a heart attack, or other heart condition, may benefit from the healthy heart classes and supervised exercise sessions offered through this program. A professional team of registered nurses, exercise specialists and dietitians help patients and families meet their healthy lifestyle goals.

"MENDED HEARTS" SUPPORT GROUP
The "Mended Hearts" Support Group is a national organization dedicated to inspiring hope in heart disease patients and their families. The Bay Area Chapter of "Mended Hearts" meets monthly at Bayshore Medical Center. Meetings are free and feature a variety of speakers on heart healthy topics, new procedures and treatments.

NON-INVASIVE CARDIOVASCULAR TESTING AND TREATMENTS
EKG (Also known as ECG or electrocardiogram): This is a procedure that measures the electrical activity of the heart. The patient lies down on the exam table and the technician connects the EKG wires from the machine to several spots on the patient's skin. This painless, non-invasive procedure is helpful in determining if additional tests are needed.

Stress Test: This procedure is done on a patient to determine how their heart responds electrically while under mild or moderate exercise. This non-invasive procedure is done while the patient walks on a treadmill. For those persons that cannot walk on a treadmill,
medication may be given through an IV to chemically stress the heart.

Pacemaker Check: This painless procedure is done to check the pacemaker's function and the heart's response to the electrical stimulation. A magnet is placed over the pacemaker while the patient is monitored on an EKG.

Holter Monitor: This painless procedure is done to gather information about a patient's heart rhythm over a 24 to 48 hour time span. A small recording device, similar to a regular EKG, is connected to the patient. The box is worn around the neck in a pouch. This test is
helpful in determining how a patient's heart rhythm responds to daily routine. EEG (Electroencephalography): This painless procedure is done to measure the brain's electrical activity. The brain waves are measured using small electrodes similar to ones used for EKG's.

Echo (Echocardiogram): This non-invasive study uses ultrasound to make pictures of the heart structures. It is a painless way to see how well the heart muscle contracts and to tell how the valves are working.

Vascular Studies: This is a non-invasive exam that uses ultrasound to show how well blood flows through an artery or vein.

Additional Advanced Medical Technologies Available at Bayshore Medical Center

LINEAR ACCELERATOR
Bayshore Medical Center offers an advanced facility for treating cancer with a new radiotherapy system capable of delivering the most precise and sophisticated treatment in the world. Our new $2.4 million Linear Accelerator has been operational since September 2004 to treat patients with prostate, breast, head and neck, lung, pancreatic and other cancers where precisely placed beams can focus to carefully target tumor cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue.

PET SCAN
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scanning offered at Bayshore Medical Center provides us the capability to help detect and monitor early sings of cancer, cardiac disease and brain disorders. While diagnostic imaging modalities such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT or MRI visualize structural anatomy, PET visualizes metabolic activity. PET allows the physician to see how the organ is actually functioning, rather than simply showing how it looks. Metabolic and functional abnormalities can reveal disease states long before structural damages are evident on, for example, X-ray or CT, making early detection of certain diseases possible. Early detection is crucial for survival in life-threatening diseases such as cancer.

CT SCAN
Bayshore Medical Center has two helical CT scanners that provide high speed scanning with an average exam taking less than 15 minutes. The CT scanners provide three dimensional images to help physicians make a more accurate diagnosis. The units also enable us to perform minimally invasive biopsies.

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) ACR ACCREDITED
An MRI is a medical technology that represented the most significant advancement in diagnostic medicine since the discovery of the X-ray. This technology combines a strong magnetic field and radio waves to explore the intricate structures and chemistry of the body in depth and detail previously unattainable. The Bayshore Medical Center MRI is capable of testing any part of the body including clear views of the brain and spinal cord.

MAMMOGRAPHY AND BONE DENSITOMETRY (ACR ACCREDITED)
Bayshore Medical Center's Breast Imaging Center is certified by the American College of Radiology, the Food and Drug Administration and the mammography Quality Standards Act. We offer routine mammograms as well as a method of diagnosing cancer by a nonsurgical sterotactic biopsy. We also offer bone densitometry for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. These services are provided by compassionate technicians in a comfortable, private outpatient setting.

NUCLEAR MEDICINE
Bayshore Medical Center's nuclear imaging services offer a diagnostic technology that produce pictures of the heart and blood vessels. This technology is used to help the physician diagnose damage caused by a heart attack as well as other conditions including cancer and ulcers. A radio-isotope is injected into the body and radiates energy which exposes the film of a nuclear camera.

PATIENT SAFETY TECHNOLOGY - (eMAR - ELECTRONIC MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION RECORD)
Bayshore Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in Houston to implement the latest technology to assure patient safety in medication administration. The eMAR (electronic Medication Administration Record) is a hospital-wide bar code technology
utilized by the hospital nursing and respiratory therapy staff, pharmacists and medical staff to assure patients are administered the correct medications. The clinical staff scans the barcode on the patient ID band and the barcode on the pharmaceutical to assure a level of accuracy never available before.
SLEEP DISORDERS CENTER
Overnight sleep studies are conducted in the Sleep Disorders Center at Bayshore Medical Center. Patients are evaluated in a sleep laboratory overnight with a test that monitors brain waves, muscle tone, eye movements, heart rate, respiration and blood oxygen levels. This study helps determine the underlying cause of sleep disorders so physicians can recommend treatment.

ULTRASOUND
Bayshore Medical Center's two Logic 700 Ultrasound units produce images with excellent detail providing physicians with the information needed to diagnose a problem quickly. The test is painless and requires minimal preparation by the patient.