Matthew Baronaitis, Clinical Manager, Cardiology, served as the clinical lead for the new angiography suite at the Marotta Family Hospital.
Niagara Health has expanded its cardiac program by opening a new state-of-the-art angiography suite at the Marotta Family Hospital, enhancing access to advanced diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures used to diagnose and treat heart disease.
Located in the Heart Investigation Unit (HIU), the suite supports a comprehensive range of minimally invasive, catheter-based cardiac procedures. The HIU performs diagnostic cardiac catheterization, a procedure that helps doctors examine the heart and blood vessels, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and other interventional cardiac procedures to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease.
Diagnostic catheterization helps specialists assess the presence and severity of heart disease and determine the most appropriate treatment plan, while PCI is a minimally invasive procedure that restores blood flow through narrowed or blocked heart arteries, often with a balloon and stent. The HIU performed approximately 2,100 procedures in 2025.
The new suite features a Philips Azurion image-guided therapy system, providing physicians with high-quality, real-time X-ray imaging to guide these procedures with exceptional precision. Advanced imaging and dose-management technology will help the clinical team further minimize radiation exposure while maintaining the image quality needed for complex interventions. The system's integrated workflow will also support more efficient care delivery and help patients move through their care more smoothly.
"Modernizing the suite is an important investment in cardiac care for Niagara," says Matthew Baronaitis, Clinical Manager, Cardiology.
"Modernizing the suite is an important investment in cardiac care for Niagara. It gives our team advanced tools to perform complex procedures efficiently and supports our goal of providing more specialized care close to home."
"It gives our team advanced tools to perform complex procedures efficiently and supports our goal of providing more specialized care close to home."
The new suite also introduces intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), a new capability at Niagara Health. IVUS uses a miniature ultrasound catheter to create detailed images from inside a coronary artery, giving physicians additional information to assess disease, accurately size blood vessels and optimize treatment, including stent placement.
This helps doctors make more informed treatment decisions during procedures.
While Niagara Health already performs PCI in collaboration with Hamilton Health Sciences, the new technology will allow a broader range of complex PCI procedures to be completed locally, meaning fewer patients may need to travel outside Niagara for care.
"IVUS gives us another level of detail when assessing coronary disease and planning treatment," says Baronaitis. "Combined with the new imaging system, it strengthens our ability to provide precise, evidence-based care and expands the range of complex procedures we can perform here in Niagara."
Funding for the new suite was generously provided through the Niagara Health Foundation, which raises funds to support high-quality patient care, education and research at the hospital.
Learn more about cardiac services at Niagara Health.
