 Myocardial
biopsy
On March 11, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center aired actual footage of a myocardial
biopsy performed on a 50 year-old man. At St. Luke's, this procedure is done as
a matter of routine to monitor the progress of patients who have undergone a
heart transplant. To date, St. Luke's has performed over 500 heart transplants
and currently maintains the best one-year heart transplant survival rate in the
country among large volume institutions.
More on myocardial biopsy
Performing procedures like a myocardial biopsy as a matter of routine is just
one of the reasons St. Luke's currently holds the best one-year survival rate in
the country for heart transplant patients. The standard of care for post
transplant monitoring done at St. Luke's assures that possible rejection risks
are found sooner, which can lower complication rates and increase each patient's
quality of life.
During a myocardial biopsy procedure, a catheter is inserted through the
patient's neck and guided by X-ray into the right ventricle of the heart.
Tiny heart tissue samples are taken and analyzed at a laboratory to monitor the
health of a patient's new heart. Anti-rejection medications may then be
altered based on the results from the laboratory.
More on St. Luke's heart transplant program
St. Luke's began it's heart transplant program in 1968 and is one of the top
ten (volume) heart transplant programs in the country. In 2003, St. Luke's
performed it's 500th heart transplant and consistently exceeds patient survival
benchmarks according to the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) standards.
Our program includes some of the top surgeons and cardiologists in the country
who are committed to remaining on the forefront of transplant technology.
St. Luke's transplant program offers a comprehensive transplant clinic with
dedicated nurses, social workers, pharmacists and therapists to walk patients
through each step of the heart transplant process.
To find a St. Luke's Heart Care physician,
click here or call 1-888-973-2663.
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