Heart Care Diseases
Acute coronary syndrome occurs when blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked. It is a medical emergency and chest pain is its main symptom.
An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm.
Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries due to plaque build-up inside the arteries.
Angina is chest pain that is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a quivering, irregular heartbeat that may cause stroke and other heart-related complications.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops working. It is a medical emergency.
Cardiomyopathy is an enlarged heart muscle. As the heart gets larger, it becomes weaker.
Congenital heart defects are heart conditions that occur due to heart abnormalities present at birth. These defects can affect any part of the heart and can often be treated with surgery.
Coronary artery disease refers to a buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart. It can lead to a heart attack.
A heart block occurs when the electrical signal that causes the heart to pump is interrupted or stopped.
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is dramatically reduced. This loss of blood flow can cause portions of the heart muscle to die.
Heart failure occurs when the heart is significantly weakened so that it can no longer adequately supply the body's cells with oxygen. Fatigue and shortness of breath make everyday activities difficult.
Infective endocarditis is an infection of the lining of the heart. It may be caused by bacteria and can lead to complications such as heart valve destruction and congestive heart failure.
Inherited rhythm disorders (IRDs) cause irregular heartbeats. IRDs can be managed with medication and other treatments.
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a heart rhythm disorder that may cause rapid, chaotic heartbeats. These rapid heartbeats may lead to sudden fainting, seizure or death.
Pericarditis is the inflammation of the sac that surrounds the heart.
Valve disorders involve problems with the valves that regulate blood flow throughout the heart. In general, valves either harden or leak.
Heart Care Testing
24-hour Holter monitors are battery-operated ECG devices, which monitor and record the heart's electrical activity for 24 hours.
Cardiac event monitors are small portable devices worn by a patient during normal activity for up to 30 days. The device has a recording system capable of storing several minutes of your electrocardiogram (EKG) record. Cardiac event monitors have primarily been used to diagnose and evaluate cardiac arrhythmias.
An echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. This commonly used test allows your doctor to see how your heart is beating and pumping blood.
Dobutamine is a medication used to facilitate cardiac testing by chemically increasing the heart rate for those who are unable to walk on a treadmill. Nuclear imaging uses a radioactive substance that travels through the vessels to highlight areas of decreased or normal blood flow.
Lexiscan is a prescription medication used in a cardiac nuclear stress test. It works by increasing blood flow in the coronary arteries. Lexiscan is given by IV in preparation for a myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) test. This uses a special camera to take pictures of your heart, giving your doctor detailed information about blood flow into your heart.
An arterial vascular study of the lower extremity typically involves inflating blood pressure cuffs on the legs while recording the pulse sounds through a Doppler transducer. Dobutamine stress testing with echocardiography imaging or nuclear imaging Dobutamine is a medication used to facilitate cardiac testing by chemically increasing the heart rate for those who are unable to walk on a treadmill. Nuclear imaging uses a radioactive substance that travels through the vessels to highlight areas of decreased or normal blood flow.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test in which electrodes on the chest are used to monitor and record the electrical activity of the heart.
An exercise stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test, helps your doctor find out how well your heart handles work. As your body works harder during the test, it requires more oxygen, so the heart must pump more blood. The test can show if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart.
TEE uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to make detailed pictures of your heart and the arteries that lead to and from it. Unlike a standard echocardiogram, the echo transducer that produces the sound waves for TEE is attached to a thin tube that passes through your mouth and into your esophagus.
Heart Care Treatments
An atherectomy is a procedure in which excess plaque is cut from an artery using a rotating shaver.
A stent procedure involves installing a wire mesh tube into a narrowed coronary artery to keep it open. It is often used in conjunction with an angioplasty procedure.
An angioplasty is a procedure that uses a balloon to widen narrowed arteries.
Artificial heart valve surgery involves replacing an abnormal or diseased heart valve with an artificial one.
Bypass surgery involves creating alternative paths for blood flow to the heart using arteries and veins from other parts of the body.
Minimally invasive heart surgery is performed through small incisions as an alternative to open heart surgery.
