Heart Treatments

All A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other

Angioplasty (PTCA)

Angioplasty (technically called Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty or PTCA) is a non-surgical procedure using a balloon catheter to open a blockage in one or more coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Atherectomy

An atherectomy restores blood flow to a narrowed coronary artery by removing the material blocking the artery. The entry and passage of these devices is very similar to the cardiac catheterization and angioplasty.
Based on the type and degree of blockage, your doctor will choose one of the following treatments for you.

Automatic Implantable Control Device

An automatic implantable arrhythmia control device (AICD) is used to detect and correct dangerous ventricular arrhythmias. The generator is two-thirds the size of a deck of cards and is implanted under the collarbone. One or two wires connect the heart and the device through a large vein and transmit heart rhythm information to the generator, which processes the input and decides whether a pacing therapy or shock is necessary to restore normal beats.

Bypass surgery

Coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

Bypass surgery is a common procedure to treat coronary artery disease. The goal is to improve the supply of blood and oxygen to heart muscle and improve the heart’s function.

Cardiac catheterization

Cardiac catheterization - frequently referred to as a heart cath - is an X-ray study of the heart. The cardiologist inserts a small, narrow soft plastic tube called a catheter into a blood vessel and moves it into a heart chamber or the coronary arteries. An X-ray camera photographs the heart’s structure while a clear liquid that blocks X-rays is passed through the catheter into the heart’s arteries or chambers.

Echocardiogram (Echo)

This exam utilizes ultrasound waves to form a picture of the heart, providing information about your heart’s size, structure and movement and how the valves work. While you are lying or in a reclined position, a probe called a transducer sends and receives ultrasound waves to the underlying heart structures.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

The ECG provides information about your heart’s rhythm and may provide clues about past or current damage to your heart muscle.

Electrophysiology (EP) study

Electrophysiology studies the heart's electrical system. Abnormal electrical impulses cause the heart to beat too slowly, too fast or in an irregular or chaotic fashion. Sometimes, an unusually fast heart rate can be deadly; other rhythm problems markedly affect your quality of life until the problem can be corrected.

Pacemaker placement

A permanent pacemaker is a small electrical device surgically implanted in the upper chest to monitor every heartbeat. The procedure is performed in the cardiac catheterization lab and the patient usually has a local anesthetic but is awake.

Perfusion imaging

Perfusion imaging may be done in conjunction with an exercise test in order to evaluate the amount of healthy and functioning heart tissue.

Sort by Date Title