A transthoracic echocardiogram (echo) is an imaging test. It helps your doctor assess your heart. Here's how it works.
An EPS closely monitors your heart rhythm. EPS can help find out exactly what your rhythm problem is and what can be done to control it. A specially trained doctor (electrophysiologist) does the procedure in an EPS lab.
Watch this video to learn what catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is and how to prepare for the procedure.
TAVR is a procedure to replace a diseased aortic valve using minimally invasive methods.
Watch this to see how a procedure called coronary angioplasty helps open blocked arteries.
Watch this to learn what a heart stent is and how it helps keep your arteries open.
Watch this to learn about the benefits and risks of coronary angioplasty.
Watch this to learn how to recover safely at home after your coronary angioplasty.
Watch this to learn about restenosis and what to do if your heart symptoms return.
Angiography is a special type of x-ray that allows your coronary arteries to be viewed and recorded on film. Your doctor can see if the blood vessels to your heart are clogged.
Angioplasty relieves symptoms of coronary artery disease by improving blood flow to your heart. Read on to learn what to expect before, during, and after the procedure.
A stent is a small metal coil or mesh tube that is placed in a narrowed artery through a catheter (a long, thin tube) to help improve blood flow to your heart. The stent permanently holds the passageway open and helps reduce the rate of restenosis, renarrowing of the artery.
A pacemaker is a small electronic device that helps your heart's electrical system beat at the right pace. Inserting the pacemaker into your body is called implantation. You stay awake during the procedure.
You can usually do almost everything you did before you got your pacemaker. See your doctor regularly to help ensure that you remain healthy and feeling good. Here are some things to avoid.
The body generates electrical impulses that cause the heart to beat. In some people, those electrical impulses don't happen in a normal pattern, which can cause the heart to beat too slowly, too fast or irregularly. A very fast heartbeat can lead to ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life-threatening condition. In patients who are at risk for ventricular tachycardia, doctors often recommend an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or ICD.
Disorders in the heart's electrical system can lead to arrhythmias, or an abnormal heart rhythm. Some arrhythmias can be life threatening and require an electrical shock to return the heart to a normal rhythm. Patients who are at risk for sudden cardiac death may require an implantable cardiac defibrillator or ICD, which can deliver a life-saving shock if the heart starts to beat too fast or in a chaotic pattern.
The procedure for implanting an ICD is often routine and relatively easy for the patient. The health care team will tell the patient how to prepare for surgery and what to expect during the procedure.
Following the ICD implant procedure, the patient will stay in the hospital for one or two nights to make sure the wound is healing without complications and the device is working properly. Before discharging the patient, the healthcare team will provide instructions on how to care for the wound at home.
Most patients with an ICD can live a normal, active life. Patients do need to be aware of the types of shocks an ICD delivers and what to do if they experience a shock. There are also some precautions patients should take in order to reduce complications.
An ICD is a device that is placed permanently inside your body. An ICD monitors your heart rhythm (the speed and pattern of your heartbeat). If this rhythm becomes too fast or too slow, the ICD sends out electrical signals that help bring the rhythm back to normal. Read on to learn more.
Learn what to expect before, during, and after heart valve surgery.
For the first 6 to 8 weeks after heart valve surgery, you'll gain a little more energy and strength each day. Your healthcare provider will discuss what you can and can't do as you recover. Here's what you can expect.
Valve disease occurs when a valve doesn't open or close the way it should. If a valve doesn't open all the way, the heart has to push blood through a smaller opening. If the valve doesn't close tightly, some blood will leak backward.
Aortic stenosis means your aortic valve has a problem opening. The left ventricle has to work harder to push the blood through the valve. In some cases, this extra work will make the muscle of the ventricle thicken. This type of stenosis can quickly get worse.
