CARDIAC CARE
By focusing on quality clinical and patient care, our dedicated healthcare team has helped thousands of patients throughout our communities achieve better heart health.
We are proud to have affiliations with:
- WellStar Cobb Hospital
- WellStar Douglas Hospital
- WellStar Kennestone Hospital
- Emory Crawford Long Hospital
CARDIAC CARE OVERVIEW
Our comprehensive cardiac treatment options cover a wide spectrum of conditions and diseases affecting the heart. As healthcare advances, new diagnostic techniques, drugs and interventions are continually being integrated into The Heart Clinic's cardiovascular care.
Cardiac treatments and services
(Invasive and non-invasive)
Cardiac Testing and Procedures
- Arrhythmia evaluations
- Cardioversion
- Event monitoring
- Holter monitoring
- Atherectomy
- Cardiac catheterization
- Coronary intervention
- Echocardiography
- Exercise stress test
- Interventional procedures (coronary angioplasty and stenting)
- Intracoronary ultrasound
- Nuclear stress tests
- Primary percutaneous intervention for acute myocardial infarction
- Thallium nuclear studies
- Transesophageal echo
- Vascular studies
Heart Disease Management
- Cardiac transplant evaluation
- Cardiomyopathy evaluation
- Pacemaker insertions and follow-up
- Pro-time management/Coumadin® Clinic
Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Aortogram with run-off
- Carotid arteriogram
- Peripheral stenting
Prevention
- Consultations
- Education
- Lipid disorder management
- Risk factor modification
- Peripheral vascular disease treatments
- Prevention consultations and education
*Procedures are performed in a convenient office location or at an area hospital.
IN-OFFICE TESTING
The Heart Clinic believes effective care begins with proper diagnosis. Our physicians place a high priority on thorough diagnostic testing, which may include one or more of the following procedures:
Arrhythmia Evaluation - Event Monitoring - Holter Monitoring
Arrhythmias, or irregular heart rhythms, are common and can occur in a healthy heart and have no affect on health. Some arrhythmias indicate a more serious problem and, if left untreated, may lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death. The Heart Clinic monitors arrhythmia patients with portable devices that record every heartbeat anywhere from 1 to 30 days to reveal any episodes or arrhythmias that may not have been found during in-office evaluation.
Echocardiography
Echocardiography is a diagnostic procedure using sound waves to image the heart. The painless and non-invasive test enables our cardiologists to evaluate a patient's heart muscle and valve function.
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG) is a routine test performed at every patient's first visit to The Heart Clinic. Electrocardiograms measure and record electrical impulses of the heart to reveal heart rhythm problems or any damage from a previous heart attack.
Click here for 2D/Doppler Echocardiogram Patient Information.
Click here for Dobutamine Echocardiogram Patient Information.
Exercise Stress Testing
During an exercise stress test, a patient walks on a treadmill while wearing EKG and blood pressure monitors. Information about the patient's heart function during physical exertion helps determine if blood supply to the heart is reduced in the arteries.
Nuclear Stress Test
A nuclear or thallium stress test uses a painless radioactive tracer material injected into the bloodstream to enable a nuclear camera to take pictures of a patient's heart at rest or, with the use of a treadmill, during physical exertion. The test helps determine coronary artery blockage, causes of chest pain, effectiveness of circulatory procedures, or the safe exercise level for a patient.
Click here for patient instructions.
Heart Failure Management
Cardiomyopathy & Cardiac Transplant Evaluation
The Heart Clinic provides comprehensive care to help manage heart failure and control symptoms. Offering cardiac assessments for patients under consideration for a heart transplant and with various cardiomyopathies.
Preventative Cardiology
Consultations - Risk Factor Modification - Lipid Disorder Management - Patient Education
The Heart Clinic uses a multi-disciplinary approach to preventing the occurrence or progression of heart disease through risk assessment, lifestyle modification and education. Our team provides thorough consultations covering a wide range of prevention topics including diet, cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stress management.
Stress Echocardiography
Stress echocardiography assists in the diagnosis of heart disease and also can monitor a heart disease patient's progress. The ultrasound test is performed following exercise on a treadmill. The images reveal parts of the heart that may not be receiving enough blood or oxygen because of blocked arteries.
Click here for patient instructions.
HOSPITAL PROCEDURES
The following tests and procedures are performed by our cardiologists in a hospital setting:
Cardiac Catheterization
During a cardiac catheterization, dye is injected into the heart and coronary arteries via a tiny tube placed in an artery in the groin or arm. This test gives the cardiologist the most definitive road map of a patient's heart and arteries to evaluate how the heart is currently functioning, whether there has been a heart attack, and whether the patient is at risk for future heart attacks. The results of the cardiac catheterization help the cardiologist determine the most appropriate treatment course, including prescribing specific medicines, angioplasty or cardiac surgery.
Coronary Angioplasty/Stenting
Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) is a non-surgical technique to reopen narrowed or blocked coronary arteries. This procedure is performed while you are awake, percutaneously or through the skin. It is most often performed immediately following a diagnostic a catheterization. After giving the patient a medication to relax, the cardiologist uses a catheter to inject and inflate a tiny balloon in the narrowed artery. This reopens the artery to its normal size and restores normal blood flow. PTCA has been proven very effective in relieving heart-related angina or chest pain. Inserting a stent is a procedure which is often an adjunctive procedure to balloon angioplasty. Stents are metallic coiled devices placed at the diseased vessel site, much like a balloon. If ballooning doesn't produce the desired or permanent opening of the vessel, a stent may achieve the desired results.
Intracoronary Ultrasound
This procedure is performed during a cardiac catheterization to show detailed images of the coronary artery. The sound probe on the tip of the coronary catheter provides pictures of the anterior structure, blood flow and pumping ability. The sound wave images also can uncover aneurysms and other abnormalities. Through evaluating the interior arterial walls, our cardiologists can determine a specific treatment protocol.
Peripheral Artery Disease
ABI, Multi-level ABI, Exercise ABI - Carotid Arteriogram - Aortogram with Run-Off - Peripheral Stenting
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition affecting the arteries outside the heart and brain. In PAD, fatty deposits build up in the inner linings of the artery walls restricting blood flow to the arms, legs, stomach, and kidneys. The Heart Clinic can diagnose PAD by an arteriogram, an x-ray of an artery or arterial system using an injectable dye to show artery damage. In some patients, a peripheral stent may be used to help keep the diseased artery open.
Pacemaker
If the heart is beating too slowly or irregularly, an electronic pacemaker device may be temporarily or permanently implanted into a patient's chest during a minor surgical procedure. The small, single or dual chamber pacemaker helps correct the abnormal heartbeat by sending electrical impulses to one or more chambers of the heart. This regulates the heart rhythm and enables it to work more effectively to deliver needed oxygen to the body.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
For patients who have undergone heart surgery or been diagnosed with coronary disease, cardiologists often prescribe an individualized cardiac rehabilitation program to help expedite recovery. This supervised and monitored exercise program helps build cardiac fitness in a safe and controlled environment. The program includes diet and lifestyle counseling and cardiac risk management education.
Acute Therapy for Myocardial Infarction
A patient suffering an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) benefits from emergency reperfusion therapy in the form of percutaneous coronary intervention. The Heart Clinic provides this procedure on an urgent care basis 24 hours a day. Other care in the form of beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, aspirin, acute reperfusion therapy, left ventricular systolic dysfunction assessment, smoking cessation counseling, and clear, complete discharge instructions is provided.
Transesophageal Echo
Known as a TEE, a transeophageal echo uses a tube passed into the esophagus to take an ultrasound image of the heart. Since traditional echocardiograms through the chest wall can be limiting, a TEE provides a more expansive look inside the heart's chambers and valves.