 In October 2009, St. Mary’s Health Care System opened its advanced interventional cardiac center. St. Mary’s opened the center to provide its patients with faster cardiac care, reducing the need for patients to transfer hospitals, which lowers costs and risk for patients during their care. These procedures are considered the gold standard for patients with heart attack and for those with coronary blockages. Interventional cardiology provides similar results as bypass surgery, but with several significant differences. Instead of spending five to six days in the hospital after surgery, interventional cardiology can allow most patients to be back at home the very next day. Patients can also return to full activity in less than a week, unlike the 30 to 60 days that the bypass requires. And instead of having a traditional scar from opening the entire chest, patients have a three (3) millimeter scar on the upper thigh near the groin. As part of our commitment to excellence, St. Mary's will continue to raise the bar for cardiac care in Athens and Northeast Georgia. We are proud of the many innovations we have implemented to bring better care to our community because better health is at the heart of all we do. St. Mary’s Interventional Cardiology Services can open arteries through procedures including:
What is balloon angioplasty? What is a stent? Although interventional cardiology is a new service, St. Mary’s interventional cardiologists from Oconee Heart and Vascular Center Dr. Charles Neckman and Dr. Rohit Tongia have done thousands of these procedures. Charles B. Neckman, MD
Dr. Neckman lived and practiced in Atlanta and Gainesville, Ga., before joining Drs. Layher and Lowman in Athens in June of 2008. Dr. Neckman specializes in coronary interventions (angioplasty and stents) and practices general and invasive cardiology. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. Dr. Neckman is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. Dr. Neckman was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1956. He is married and has three children. In his spare time, he enjoys bicycling, sport shooting, jet skiing and spending time with his family. Rohit Tongia, MD
Dr. Tongia is certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties in cardiovascular disease and by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine. He holds multiple certifications from the Institute for Nuclear Medical Education, including medical radiation instrumentation and principles of radiation physics. For more information, visit the Oconee Heart and Vascular Center website at www.oconeeheart.comor call (706) 389-3440. |
Dr. Neckman received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1977 from the University of Florida. He graduated with high honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his medical degree from the Emory University School of Medicine in 1981. Dr. Neckman completed his residency in internal medicine at Emory in 1984 and went on to complete his cardiology fellowship at Emory in 1987. 
Dr. Tongia has been practicing in Athens since 2005. Prior to his arrival here, Dr. Tongia completed fellowships in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular disease at Maimonides Medical Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.