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Coronary Heart Disease, Angioplasty and PCI

Updated 28 February 2022

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

Dorset County Hospital provides a full range of diagnostic and treatment services for all aspects and presentations of Coronary Heart Disease. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) includes heart attacks and angina and usually presents with chest pain.

We have a Rapid Access outpatient service is for GP referrals for stable patients with recent onset of chest pain. Patients are usually given an appointment within two weeks of referral.

We have a range of diagnostic facilities for CHD including treadmill exercise testing, echocardiography, and angiography. We also have ready access to multi-slice CT angiography and magnetic resonance angiography which other important tests for this problem.

We have two Cardiac Catheter Labs with facilities for PCI with balloon angioplasty, stent implantation, pressure wire assessment, intravascular ultrasound, distal protection and rotablation.

Percutanous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

Angioplasty and Stenting
Angioplasty is the procedure of inserting, then inflating, a small balloon in the blocked coronary artery to restore blood flow. A stent is a wire mesh tube, which is usually then placed into the previously blocked area to ensure it remains open.

Primary PCI
In the past patients who suffered a particular type of heart attack known as a STEMI (ST elevation myocardial infarction) were given thrombolysis – clot-busting drugs – but clinical evidence has shown that using angioplasty as the primary treatment (i.e. "Primary PCI") for heart attack patients reduces complications and improves recovery rates.

PCI Consultants
Dr Fraser Witherowmith
Dr Javed Iqbal
Dr Edney Boston Griffiths

Chest Pain Nurse Specialists
Helen Dell
Louise Smith

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