Are you starting a new office-based lab? Or wanting to upgrade your current one? If so, there are a lot of decisions to be made. At 
the top of the list will be which medical imaging system your team will use: C-Arm or a Cath Lab. The medical imaging equipment experts at Atlantis Worldwide put together this guide to help you make the right decision for your practice.
The Benefits of a C-Arm
Does your practice need less involved procedures? If so, you really don’t need a Cath Lab, which can be a lot more expensive. For example, if your clinic is specializing in pain management or orthopedic surgery there’s no need for a Cath lab. You wouldn’t use many of the features that come with a Cath lab. In addition, the installation and maintenance costs for a C-Arm are much less than a Cath Lab, so if you don’t need all those features, you’ll save a lot.
The installation for a C-Arm couldn’t be easier. You just roll it in to your procedure room and plug it in. It’s a lot more complicated for a Cath Lab. In addition, you need a lot less space when you use a C-Arm.
Do You Need a Cath Lab?
A lot of it depends on what kind of procedures you need for your practice. If you are going to perform balloon angioplasty, coronary and left ventricle digital Angiography Devices, heart catheterization, rotational atherectomy, stent implantation or thrombectomy, you definitely need a Cath lab. If your clinic is going to handle heavier caseloads, longer studies and serve larger patients, again, a Cath lab has the power your need. A Cath lab generator typically has an output of 85-100kW while a C-Arm generator has an output of 7.5-25kW.
When you have a Cath lab with a fully integrated system, you get a host of features that make imaging during surgery much easier and more efficient. You’ll have multiple table-side controls, a motorized table and post-processing workstation options. It’s much easier to move components around with the articulated overhead monitor suspension and a table-side controlled gantry whereas with a C-Arm, you have to physically move your whole system.
Talk To An Expert
Medical imaging equipment can be one of the most expensive investments for your clinic or practice. Before you decide what’s best for your needs, talk to a medical imaging expert at Atlantis Worldwide. We’ve been helping hospitals, clinics, urgent care clinics, veterinary practices and other healthcare facilities with their medical imaging needs for more than 27 years. Plus, oftentimes a refurbished or used system can provide the performance you need at much lower costs, while still delivering impressive warranties.
Some blogs you may have missed:
- Top 10 Tips for the Operating Theater Radiographer
- Single-Plane Or Bi-Plane Cath Labs: Which Is Right For You?
- C-Arms & Vascular Health
- Comparing The GE Innova Digital Cath Lab Family: 2100, 3100 & 4100
- Top 7 C-Arms for Your Orthopedic Practice
About the author: Vikki Harmonay
