<0> for Baptist Health SystemMarcie Casas, 210-236-5000Cell: 210-884-8070orBaptist Health SystemAshley Cardenas, 210-297-1028Cell: 210-837-2983 </0>
For the first time, South Texas residents are gaining access to life-saving technology that will treat complex heart issues, closer to home. Heart patients in San Antonio and its surrounding area can now receive treatment at the Baptist Heart and Rhythm Center, the first in South Texas to offer the Stereotaxis Robotic Navigation System. The system is used to correct heart arrhythmia and offers 10 times less risk for major complications during the procedures. Previously, patients had to travel to Austin, Dallas or Houston for this type of curative procedure.
The Baptist Heart and Rhythm Center opened in February 2013 and has treated nearly 70 patients using the new technology. The center’s team also recently performed an atrial fibrillation ablation procedure that was reported the third of its kind in the world and the first reported in North America, which was achieved by the Stereotaxis technology that would not have otherwise been possible by a manual or conventional approach.
Stereotaxis Robotic Navigation System is a trusted, low-risk technology that has been in use since 2003. The system creates a weak magnetic field around a patient that is manipulated by an integrated computer and 3D mapping system to drive flexible, magnetic-tipped catheters within the heart with extreme precision. The amount of pressure on heart tissue during the procedure is as light as four to five paperclips resting in the palm of a hand.
The technology’s one millimeter precision gives physicians greater control and better stability than can be achieved by hand and enables them to place catheters with remarkable accuracy — accuracy equivalent to less than the thickness of a penny. The amount of radiation that patients and doctors are normally exposed to during standard catheter ablation procedures is also greatly reduced with Stereotaxis.
“We are committed to the care of our patients. With the Stereotaxis technology in place, we are building a new level of dedication and trust for focused, safer heart rhythm care that helps patients return quickly to a normal and active life,” said Dr. Stephen Scott Reich, MD, FHRS clinical cardiac electrophysiologist.
To learn more about Stereotaxis and the Baptist Heart and Rhythm Center call 210-297-7005, visit or even watch a patient testimonial at .
Baptist Health System is a trusted provider of health care in San Antonio and South Texas. The System includes five acute-care hospitals (Baptist Medical Center, Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, North Central Baptist Hospital, Northeast Baptist Hospital, and St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital) which offer 1,674 licensed beds. All five hospitals have earned Accredited Chest Pain Center designation, as well as Primary Stroke Center Certification. Medicare has designated each as Texas’ only Medicare Value Based Care Centers.
The system also includes Baptist Regional Children’s Center, Baptist Breast Center, Baptist Cancer Center, HealthLink wellness and fitness center and physical rehabilitation centers. Other entities include Baptist M&S Imaging Centers, community health and wellness programs, ambulatory services, medical office buildings and School of Health Professions. Baptist Health System supports the work of Faith Family Clinics, Baptist Emergency Hospitals, San Antonio AirLIFE air medical transport and other health-related services and affiliations. The system is part of Vanguard Health Systems, based out of Nashville, Tennessee.