Cardiology

Our cardiologists perform cardiac testing and imaging to see how your heart is performing as well as to diagnose a heart problem or condition.

Some of the heart diagnostic services and procedures we offer include:

• Coronary calcium scans
• Echocardiograms, including 3D echocardiography
• Electrocardiograms (EKGs)
• Nuclear cardiology procedures
• Peripheral vascular diagnostics
• Stress tests
• Transesophageal echocardiograms (TEEs)

Our cardiovascular laboratory (CVL) is equipped with state-of-the-art, modern technology. It is staffed by a team of experienced interventional cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, trained registered nurses and cardiovascular technologists.

During a heart catheterization, a thin, flexible tube, or catheter, is threaded through your blood vessels and into your heart. This minimally invasive technique may be used to:

• Check for heart defects
• Decide on a treatment plan
• Evaluate an enlarged heart
• Locate any narrowed or clogged arteries in the heart
• Measure blood pressure within the heart
• See how well the heart valves and heart chambers are working

Cardiac catheterization can also be used to perform procedures such as:

• Atherectomy
• Cardiac ablation
• Carotid stenting
• Cerebral angiogram
• Cerebral embolization
• Coronary and peripheral angiogram, angioplasty and stenting
• Heart biopsy
• Pacemaker and automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) placement

These catheter-based interventions provide many potential benefits compared to traditional surgeries. Some of these benefits may include shorter hospital stays, reduced recovery times, smaller incisions and less postoperative scarring.

The highly trained cardiothoracic surgeons at our hospital's heart center offer an extensive range of traditional heart surgeries. These may be used to treat a number of cardiac conditions resulting from heart diseases, congenital heart defects, valve diseases and aortic aneurysms.

Cardiovascular surgeries we offer include:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
• Endoscopic vein harvesting
• Maze procedures for AFib or atrial flutter
• Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR)
• Valve repair and replacement

Our electrophysiology laboratory (EP Lab) specializes in the management and treatment of heart rhythm disorders. These heart arrhythmias occur when your heart beats too quickly, too slowly or irregularly.

Along with comprehensive electrophysiology studies, we can perform the following procedures in our EP Lab for arrhythmias:

• AFib ablations
• Atrioventricular (AV) node ablations
• Cardiac device implantations, including loop recorders, pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)
• Cardioversions

We take heart attack care seriously, especially ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). STEMI is a severe type of heart attack in which a clot blocks blood flow to the heart.

To help ensure you receive the most rapid emergency treatment possible, we've established a "Code STEMI" program. In this program, a specially trained cardiac care team quickly assembles and is ready to perform any interventional procedures you may need.

Our Code STEMI protocols, together with other procedures we have instituted, enable our team to reduce our "door-to-balloon" time (the time it takes to treat you once you arrive).

If you are experiencing any of the below symptoms, call 911 immediately:

• Breaking out into a cold sweat or feeling clammy
• Pain that radiates to your neck, shoulders or arms
• Pressure, pain or squeezing in your chest
• Shortness of breath
• Sudden lightheadedness or fainting
• Unexplained nausea or anxiety

A stroke is often the result of a vascular issue, such as a blocked artery, and requires immediate medical care. As a Comprehensive Stroke Center certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), we can help you and your loved ones access the proper treatment as quickly as possible.