| Arrhythmia Monitoring – |
Arrhythmia monitoring refers to tests physicians use to identify the type and the cause of irregular heart rhythms. These tests include electrocardiographic (ECG) testing and electrophysiology (EP) testing.
Return To Top |
| Cardiac Catheterization and Angiography – |
Cardiac catheterization involves the insertion of a thin tube called a catheter into an artery. The catheter is threaded through the arterial system to the arteries in the heart, where physicians use it to collect information about the heart's blood supply or to assess or treat other cardiac problems. The most common test that is performed in conjunction with cardiac catheterization is angiography, also called arteriography. During angiography, a contrast dye used to produce images of the heart's blood vessels is pumped through the catheter and into the coronary arteries. A physician traces the flow of this dye with an x ray machine to get a 'road map' of the heart's blood vessels. The pictures that result, called angiograms or arteriograms, help doctors pinpoint the location and extent of problems with the heart's blood supply and decide on treatment.
Return To Top |
Congestive Heart Failure Therapy – |
The goal of heart failure therapy is to lessen the effect of heart failure symptoms and to keep people with the condition out of the hospital. Heart failure caused by valve disease, toxins such as drugs used in chemotherapy, or congenital heart defects is often reversible. People with heart failure caused by permanently damaged or weakened heart muscle, however, require long-term lifestyle modification and medication. Heart failure therapy requires lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and reducing salt and fluid in the diet. These changes can improve the heart's ability to function and may help people with weakened hearts feel stronger. Additionally, most people will need to take medications to manage the symptoms of living with a weakened heart for the rest of their lives. Physicians recommend that people take their medications at the same time each day and keep a record that includes the name of the medication, the dosage, the number of times per day the medication is taken, and the symptom or condition the medication is intended to treat.
Return To Top |
| Duplex Ultrasonography – |
Duplex ultrasonography is a form of ultrasound that produces images that differentiate between the body's soft tissues and its fluid-filled structures. Duplex ultrasound can also detect motion, such as the movement of blood cells. Duplex ultrasound is used to detect the presence and severity of numerous conditions, including: thrombosis (blood clots); blockages from atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries); thrombophlebitis (an inflammation of the blood vessels); trauma to an artery or vein; Raynaud's phenomenon (a spasm of small blood vessels in the fingers); and increases in the thickness of the blood vessel lining.
Return To Top |
| Echocardiography – |
Echocardiography is a diagnostic test that uses ultrasound, or high-frequency sound waves, to create images of the heart. A transducer, or modified microphone, turns electrical energy into sound waves, which bounce off tissues in the heart and are recorded onto videotape or computer for later analysis. Echocardiography is primarily used to detect and assess the following: blocked coronary arteries; heart failure or cardiomyopathy (enlargement of the heart); congenital (present at birth) heart defects; damage from hypertension (high blood pressure); heart attack damage or scarring; pericardial disease (the membrane that surrounds the heart); and the function of the heart muscle, blood vessels, and valves.
Return To Top |
| Nuclear Imaging – |
One way in which a physician diagnoses coronary heart disease is through nuclear imaging. During nuclear imaging, a small dose of a radioactive isotope is injected into the bloodstream. The radioisotope, or tracer, is carried through the bloodstream and into the myocardium, or heart muscle. Special cameras detect the radiation released from the tracers and record information about the heart muscle and blood flow. This information is then used to produce images of the heart on a computer screen or film.
Return To Top |
| ECG Stress Testing – |
An electrocardiogram (ECG) stress test monitors a person's heartbeat at rest and during exercise, most commonly while a person walks on a treadmill. A physician observes the person, monitors the exercise level, and makes recordings until the person's heart nears a maximum predicted heart rate. The heart also is monitored during the period of cool-down or recovery that immediately follows exercise. The recordings made before, during, and immediately after an ECG stress test can show subtle changes in the heart’s electrical activity.
Return To Top |
| Nuclear Stress Testing – |
One way that a physician diagnoses coronary heart disease is through a nuclear stress test. During a nuclear stress test, a small dose of a radioactive isotope is injected into the bloodstream. The radioisotope, or tracer, is carried through the bloodstream and into the myocardium, or heart muscle. Shortly after exercising, a special camera senses the radioactivity of the tracer and constructs an image of the heart. Parts of the heart muscle that receive normal blood flow receive larger amounts of tracer and appear brighter than areas that have inadequate blood flow.
Return To Top |
| Pacemaker Implantation and Monitoring – |
If heart muscle cells are damaged such that electrical rhythms to the heart are interrupted, delayed, or sent down the wrong path, the heartbeat may become irregular, too fast, or too slow. The patient may require a pacemaker, a device to restore a normal heartbeat. Most pacemakers are installed to counteract problems with either failure of cardiac impulse formation or failure of the atrioventricular node (A-V node) conduction. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and rarely causes complications. Once the pacemaker is fully adjusted, the person should be able to carry out all the functions of normal daily life, with the pacemaker automatically adapting to various circulation and heartbeat needs.
Return To Top |
| Peripheral Vascular Disease Monitoring and Treatment – |
Treatment programs are tailored to each individual and take into account the needs of the patient and family. The treatment will depend on factors such as the severity of the symptoms, the degree of arterial narrowing or blockage and the patient's overall health. Treatment for patients with PVD is provided in three areas: controlling risk factors through lifestyle changes and medication; endovascular therapy or surgery to reopen arteries to the legs or arms; specialized care for patients with PVD who have open wounds or vascular ulcers that won't heal.\
Return To Top |
