New medical procedure to see inside your veins could help save your life

Cathy McCormick is in her late 60s and her cardiovascular health declined over the years, so her primary doctor ordered a traditional heart catheterization.

“I am so thankful that I was led to figure out what was wrong with me,” McCormick said, “The doctor who did it told me the next day that I was fine. There was nothing wrong. There was not enough blockage to even consider a stent.”

But she still had symptoms, so she went for a second opinion at Bayfront Health where Cardiologist James Hearn performed what’s called Optical Coherence Tomography or OCT for short.

What happens during the procedure a catheter is inserted into your artery and through a monitor and light, allowing doctors to see what’s going on in your veins. They can spot issues that could ultimately take your life.

Dr. Hearn said, “It’s so good, you can see when white blood cells get together in a certain area. You can see that. You can’t see that with ultrasound.”

It can also spot tears in your veins, help keep a closer eye on stents once they’re put in, and make sure blood is flowing to all the right places.

When we asked McCormick if she thinks this procedure saved her life… “Totally,” she said.

Following the OCT, McCormick had quadruple bypass surgery to take care of the blockages they found.

And now, three months later, rehab is going well. She said “It would have never been picked up until something catastrophic happened.”

Which is why she’s thankful this tiny camera is being used in Southwest Florida.

Mccormick says her insurance covered most of the cost of the procedure.

Bayfront Health is the only place doing the OCT procedure in Charlotte County.

NCH in Naples does not offer it and we’re still waiting to hear back from Lee Health.