A local hospital is taking a new approach to heart health with a procedure that significantly reduces recovery time for cardiac catheterization procedures.

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure to help diagnose and treat blockage in a coronary artery. It is traditionally performed through the femoral artery in the leg. However, the transradial method is an enhanced approach performed through the radial artery in the wrist.

The transradial cardiac catheterization approach provides patients with a lower risk for bleeding and vascular complications and a shorter recovery time as compared to the traditional method.

In order to provide its patients with lower risk and faster recovery time, Odessa Regional Medical Center (ORMC) is now offering the transradial cardiac catheterization procedure to its patients.

“We’re proud to offer the procedure to our patients,” said ORMC President Stacey L. Brown. “Our organization and medical staff constantly strive to reduce risk and speed up the recovery process for our patients. The transradial cardiac catheterization procedure is a great example of this as displayed in our heart healthcare department.”