Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization
A diagnostic cardiac Catheterization, also called coronary angiography or heart catheterization, is a procedure that provides detailed information about the function of the heart and its arteries. By combining information from blood tests and other diagnostic tests with a cardiac catheterization procedure, doctors can accurately diagnose a heart condition and the most effective treatment plan.
Coronary Balloon Angioplasty/Stent
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), or balloon angioplasty, is a procedure used to open narrowed coronary arteries. It is performed with a local anesthesia while the patient is awake. Patients whose angina has not been relieved by medications are generally the best candidates for PTCA. There are several other commonly used treatments for opening blocked arteries performed by doctors at Affiliated Cardiologists Heart Center. Doctors also use tiny rotating blades (Rotoblator procedure) or cutters (atherectomies) to cut away plaque buildup on the artery walls, or a little metal "scaffold" (stent) to widen obstructed arteries.
Peripheral angioplasty is performed much like that of PCTA or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, but to open blocked arteries or remove blood clots in the patient's legs.
The Stent is a stainless steel device (scaffold) which compresses the plaque, much like in the coronary balloon angioplasty procedure. Doctors implant the stent by guiding a thin, balloon-tipped catheter through the artery to the blockage. The collapsed stent is part of the catheter tip, and when the balloon is inflated the stent expands into place allowing the flow of blood once again through the coronary arteries. After a couple of weeks tissue forms around the stent and it becomes a permanent support for the artery.
The rotoblator is a procedure used clear blocked arteries. Doctors guide a thin catheter through the artery to the blocked area. The catheter contains a small, specially designed, rotating blade which chips off hard plaque buildup on the artery walls. The chips of plaque are then small enough to be absorbed and expelled into the blood stream. The atherectomy procedure is similar however it contains a cutter which shaves the plaque away from the artery wall. The plaque is then removed through the catheter. Both procedures are used to effectively clear blocked arteries.
A pacemaker is a battery-operated device that helps maintain a normal heart rhythm. It sends electrical signals to the heart to stimulate contracting or pumping of the heart muscle. It is designed specifically for patients who have irregular or very slow heart rates and symptoms of fainting or fatigue. The rate is set by the doctor. The pacemaker generator is placed under the skin on the chest wall below the collarbone. It contains a battery and wires (leads) which are positioned inside the heart and transmit the signal from the battery to the heart thus causing the contracting.
Electrophysiologic Investigation
Electrophysiology testing makes it possible to study heart rhythm disturbances under controlled conditions. By using special insulated wires called catheters, doctors are able to identify the rhythm disturbance and choose the best treatment method. The procedure is performed in the cath lab. It involves inserting thin plastic catheters into the large blood vessels in your groin and arm, then guiding them to the heart with the help of a special X-ray machine. When the catheters are in place in your heart, a doctor who specializes in electrophysiology will stimulate the heart artificially with electrical impulses delivered through the catheters. The doctor will watch the heart's reaction to determine the extent of rhythm disturbance.
AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator)
An AICD is a computerized device implanted in the abdominal wall. It detects and generates electrical impulses through leads placed on or in the heart that sense a cardiac disturbance such as the onset of a recurrent heart attack or heart failure (tachycardia or fibrillation). The primary purpose of the AICD is to deliver a counter-shock to the heart in order to stabilize and resuscitate the patient's normal heart rhythm.
Additionally, doctors at Affiliated Cardiologists Heart Center also offer a full spectrum of cardiovascular outpatient services to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of specific cardiac needs. Those outpatient procedures include:
Treadmill Testing
Electrocardiogram (EKG and ECG)
24-Hour Holter Monitoring
Echocardiography (both Transthoracic and Transesophageal)
Pacemaker and Defibrillator Checkups
A Fully-Equipped Laboratory
High-Complexity Diagnostics
Nuclear Cardiology
Cardioversion
Event Recording and Assessment of Rhythm Disturbances
