Clarian Cardiovascular to offer the Midwest`s only Transradial Center of Excellence

Less than 2 percent of cardiac catheterizations in the U.S. use transradial
technique
INDIANAPOLIS--(Business Wire)--
Clarian Cardiovascular has established the Midwest`s only Transradial Center of
Excellence in an effort to offer patients a catheterization procedure that
significantly reduces recovery time and improves patient outcomes - transradial
cardiac catheterization.

Transradial cardiac catheterization uses the wrist, not the groin, for catheter
insertion. While this technique isn`t new, less than 2 percent of cardiac
catheterizations in the United States use the transradial approach because only
a small percentage of interventional cardiologists are trained in this
specialized procedure. In fact, transradial access leads the way in many parts
of the world, including Europe, Japan, China and Canada.

Cardiac catheterization is a test to check the heart and coronary arteries and
helps doctors assess heart muscle functioning and detect heart disease, an often
fatal condition that leads to 1.5 million heart attacks annually nationwide.

Traditionally, cardiac catheterization uses the femoral artery in the right
groin as the point of insertion for the catheter. This entry point is often
difficult to access and may be hard to compress after the procedure to stop the
bleeding. The recovery time for the femoral approach is 20 minutes of pressure
followed by 6-8 hours of bed rest to allow the hole in the groin to heal.

The transradial catheterization is performed using an artery in the wrist. This
technique is safer, offers no scarring, a decreased risk of bleeding, lowered
risk of all complications, less risk of trauma to adjacent nerves and blood
vessels, reduced hospital and health care costs and a shorter recovery period.
The recovery time for the transradial approach is less than 2 hours bed rest and
discharge within 4 hours depending on the procedure.

Transradial cardiac catheterizations benefit all patients but especially those
with low back pain, arthritis, obesity and peripheral vascular disease.

Clarian Cardiovascular`s Transradial Center of Excellence, under the direction
of George Revtyak, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FAHA, is the only Center of Excellence
located in the Midwest.

"The femoral approach remains the dominant technique because it is easy to
learn. However, this common approach leads to substantial patient discomfort due
to prolonged groin compression resulting in immobilization," said Dr. Revtyak.
"That`s why it was important for Clarian Cardiovascular to establish the
Transradial Center of Excellence so people in the state of Indiana and beyond
have access to another cardiac catheterization option that is truly beneficial
in more ways than one."

The Clarian Transradial Center of Excellence will also offer a physician
training center with state-of-the-art equipment at Methodist Hospital where
cardiologists will receive hands-on training covering the clinical and practical
aspects of transradial access, including the use of simulators to focus on the
use of different catheters and their tactile feel. The 3-D component of the
simulator allows physicians to truly understand how catheters respond to torque
and steering.

The transradial catheterization technique was pioneered by a Dr. Lucien Campeau,
a French-Canadian physician, in 1989, and in August 1992, the first patients
were treated with this procedure at the Amsterdam Department of Interventional
Cardiology of the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Casthuis in Amsterdam.

About Clarian Health

Clarian Health is an Indiana-based, private, non-profit organization offering a
broad base of tertiary services, specialized pediatric care and a Level 1 Trauma
Center. Clarian is Indiana's most comprehensive health center and one of the
busiest hospital systems in the nation. Clarian owns or is affiliated with 18
hospitals and health centers throughout Indiana, including Methodist and Indiana
University Hospitals, Riley Hospital for Children, Clarian West Medical Center
and Clarian North Medical Center. Clarian Health is also affiliated with the
Indiana University School of Medicine, the nation's second largest medical
center and a national leader in medical education and research. Clarian Health
operates the Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital and Riley Hospital
for Children campuses as a single hospital under Indiana law. Visit
www.clarian.org for more information.

Clarian Health
Margie Smith-Simmons
Phone: 317.962.4085
E-Mail: msmithsi@clarian.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009