Coronary Interventions (with primary PCI for acute myocardial infarction)

At ZNA Middelheim, 2500 PCI's (percutaneous coronary interventions) are carried out per year. The centre started his PCI-programme in 1983, being one of the first in Belgium. In 1989, the first coronary stent procedure in the Benelux was performed in our hospital. This historical facts support the enormous experience of our centre. As pioneers, we could –in the past 25 years- introduce the most innovative technologies as quickly as they were available.

All intracoronary diagnostic tools are available: FFR (fractional flow reserve) and IVUS (intravascular ultrasound) are used to fine tune the exact diagnosis in order to present the most optimal treatment for the patient. Daily conferences with the cardiac surgeons are part of this decision making process.

Complex procedures have become daily routine: multivessel disease, long lesions, small vessels, bifurcation lesions, total occlusions and vein graft pathology. 

Stent boost technology allows us to achieve optimal stent placement and deployment. This unique approach is crucial in order to guarantee excellent immediate and long term success, particularly in using drug eluting stents (DES).
In the field of valvular heart disease (mitral and aortic), a consistent experience exists in percutaneous approach.

Our centre has the largest national experience of percutaneous placed closure devices in patients with PFO (patent foramen ovale) and ASD (atrium septum defect).
A multidisciplinary programme for the treatment of peripheral artery disease (renal, carotid and others) has been set up in the catheterisation laboratory.