CLARK FREEPORT — The Medical City-Clark (TMCC) launched here Wednesday its Hybrid Cath Lab and Hemodialysis Unit as part of its commitment to provide world-class cardiovascular care and a first rate renal dialysis care to the people in the region.
Dr. Cenon Alfonso, TMCC CEO and medical director, said the Hybrid Cath Lab or Cardiac and Vascular Catheterization Laboratory is a “state-ofthe- 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.”
He said TMCC is one of the few hospitals in the country to establish a Hybrid Cath Lab. Traditionally, catheterization procedures such as angioplasty or stenting or implantation of a pacemaker would be done in one lab while an open heart operation would be performed in a separate surgical suite.
Alfonso said TMCC’s Hybrid Cath Lab can be described as life-saving, a one stop shop for heart patients that can incorporate all the equipment, monitoring devices and technology required for cardiac catheterization and surgery.
He also said 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.
First open-heart surgery
On May 5, a 26 yearold patient named Al Ian Cayanan experienced TMCC’s quality health care when he underwent a successful open heart surgery at the Hybrid Cath Lab.
Cayanan suffered from an “Atrial Septal Defect” or commonly referred to as a hole in the heart which is a type of congenital heart defect where there is an abnormal opening in the dividing wall between the upper chambers of the heart.
Cayanan’s team of doctors included Dr. Elaine Payumo, interventional cardiologist; Dr. Roberto Cristobal, Dr. Avenilo Aventura and Dr. Wilson 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. Anton Hernandez, intensivist. On the other hand, Dr. Ramon Jose Suarez, head of the Nephrology section, said the newly- launch Hemodialysis Unit offers state-ofthe- art dialysis facilities which can treat six patients at a time.
He said the unit is run by a multi-disciplinary team composed of board certified nephrologists, neuropsychologists, dialysis nurses, hemodialysis technicians and dieticians working together to ensure the highest quality of personalized care.
Meanwhile, Alfonso said at TMCC “we go by teams” because if there is any success at all that we can speak about at TMCC after three or four years it is because of the teams.
“Gone are the days when there are iconic physician,” he said. “We go by teams. We manage to treat our patients with a multi-disciplinary team approach.
After all, teams make championships not a coach,” he said.
