Advanced heart lab offers precision care for both adult and pediatric patients
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 28, 2025) — UK HealthCare’s Gill Heart & Vascular Institute recently opened the new heart catheterization lab, a space that will serve both adults with congenital heart disease as well as pediatric patients at Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH). With sophisticated imaging technology, this new space is the most advanced facility for interventional cardiology procedures in the region.
“I am hopeful that the new expansion will allow a true hybrid congenital cardiology lab commensurate with modern standards,” said Jess Randall, M.D., director of pediatric interventional cardiology at KCH. “We continue to strive to keep all patients in Lexington whenever possible, and this new space will help ensure that Kentucky families will have access to the best technology available, close to home.”
Interventional cardiology is a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery that uses catheter-based procedures to diagnose and treat heart and blood vessel conditions. Procedures performed at KCH include patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants, atrial septal defects in infants and children, and pulmonary valve replacement in adults, as well as helping patients with compromised cardiovascular function maintain adequate blood circulation.
The centerpiece of the new procedure lab is a device capable of three-dimensional rotational angiography, an imaging technique that utilizes X-ray technology to create three-dimensional reconstructions of blood vessels. Combined with advanced displays for CT and MRI scans, surgical teams will have a complete view of the patient’s heart and surrounding vessels.
“This should be able to limit the number of pictures we have to take and allow more precise interventions,” said Randall. “This will go a long way to improve how we see the diseases we treat and can lower the number of x-rays patients are exposed to during their procedure.”
In addition to increased capacity in the new catheterization lab, the electrophysiology lab has been upgraded to accommodate an increase in both case volume and complexity. Electrophysiology (EP) procedures evaluate the heart’s electrical activity to diagnose and treat arrhythmias heart rhythms. The upgrades include a new computer system that allows KCH experts to teleconnect with experts at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) during procedure, bringing together the expertise of the two medical centers to evaluate and treat patients in real time.
“This will hopefully serve our mission to increase access for families of Kentucky to have invasive EP services closer to home,” said Shaun Mohan, M.D., electrophysiologist at KCH. “Having this new lab with teleconnectivity to CCHMC allows us to have two labs capable of doing pediatric invasive electrophysiology cases, which can give us the potential to do multiple cases in one day, further improving access for our patients and families.”
“At the UK Gill Heart and Vascular Institute, we are committed to this collaborative approach to improve outcomes for all Kentuckians, regardless of who they are or where they are coming from in the Commonwealth,” said Vendant Gupta, M.D., associate chief in the division of cardiovascular medicine. “Being able to provide our regional and national experts with the cutting-edge technology needed to do this is a part of that commitment. This new cath lab will be able to give our pediatric experts the ability to deliver world-class care to more of Kentucky’s children without having to leave home.”
The Joint Pediatric and Congenital Heart Program at KCH is a collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center that provides the full spectrum of cardiac care for Kentucky families and is one of the top pediatric cardiology programs in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report. Using the one-program, two-sites model, pediatric cardiology experts at KCH work closely with pediatric heart specialists at Cincinnati Children’s to deliver the full spectrum of children’s cardiology services, ensuring that Kentucky families don’t have to leave the state to benefit from the best care available.
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