A view of UNC’s new Radial Lounge UNC’s Cardiac Cath Ra
UNC’s Cardiac Cath Radial Lounge is now open for patients!
What does this mean for patient care? Cardiac catheterization can be performed via two access points, one of which is the radial (wrist) artery. With radial access, a pressure wristband, also known as a TR band, is placed in the lab to stop the artery from bleeding, Minimal sedation is used for these procedures, so these patients typically walk back to their recovery bays, sometimes with a bathroom stop. These patients are alert and oriented, and only remain in recovery long enough to remove the TR band. This removal process takes 1.5-3 hours. In a traditional recovery room, these patients are confined to a stretcher and wall monitors. The radial lounge is a modernized recovery area, where the recovering patient can ambulate around a café like atmosphere while being monitored via wireless telemetry. Patients can help themselves to food and beverages in the nutrition center, and sit in a comfortable lounge chair, and even have the freedom to use the restroom independently. This all leads to a more comfortable recovery period for our cardiac cath patients. Learn more about cardiac catheterization at UNC here.