The Heart and Vascular Center Home » Our Services » The Heart and Vascular Center

The Heart and Vascular Center of Dunn Memorial offers interventional cardiology and vascular procedures with a cardiovascular recovery unit that is dedicated to our cardiovascular patients. To compliment our capabilities we offer support services which save patients time, money and most importantly…lives.

Diagnosis

Diagnostic tests at Dunn’s Heart and Vascular Center are performed in an outpatient setting whenever possible, saving patients time and money. Tests include:

• EKG Studies
• Blood Tests
• Holter Monitoring
• Treadmill Stress Tests
• M-mode, Two-Dimensional and Doppler

• Echocardiograms
• Electronic Pacemaker Evaluations
• Transesophageal Echocardiography
• Cardiac Catheterization
• Electrophysiologic Studies (EPS)

Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack

Don’t Deny these Signs of a Heart Attack:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes.
• Chest discomfort, with dizziness; fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath.
• Unusual digestion.
• Chest pain that comes and goes.
• Pain between the shoulder blades.

If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer than a few minutes (no more than 5) before getting help. Get to a hospital right away or call 911.

More Heart Attack-Related Information to be Aware of:

• Some heart attacks are sudden and intense -- the "big screen heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help.
• Women report symptoms that are different than men report. So it’s important for women to recognize the symptoms that are unique to them. For women, they usually involve chest pain. But, women may also experience any of the other problems described above, especially nausea, shortness of breath or pain to the arm, shoulder or neck.
• Coronary heart disease is America's No. 1 killer. That's why it's so important to know the warning signs, and know how to respond quickly and properly if warning signs occur.
• 95% of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. Knowing the signs/symptoms of a heart attack and getting immediate help via the nearest ER will save lives.

Treatment

The Heart and Vascular Center of Dunn Memorial offers these Treatments at our campus.
Treatments include:

• Cardiac Resychronization Therapy
• Nutritional counseling
• Lifestyle Modification Counseling
• Pharmacologic Treatment
• Thrombolytic Therapy

• Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)
• Stent Placement
• Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD)
• Phase I, II and III Cardiac Rehabilitation

Terms to know

DIAGNOSTIC TERMS

Methods used at our Heart and Vascular Center to detect heart disease, abnormalities, or other heart problems.

Blood Tests

Studies that can tell if your cholesterol (blood fat) and triglyceride (too much sugar intake) levels can put you at risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

Cardiac Catheterization

A small hollow flexible tube is inserted at the groin, into a blood vessel and advanced to the heart. Dye that will show on X-ray is injected and if the flow of blood to the heart muscle is blocked, it will show up on the X-ray as a narrowing. The doctor will then determine how much the flow is affected.

EKG Studies

Patches are placed on your arms, legs and chest to pick up electrical beats of the heart for study and comparison. These studies can reveal abnormal beats or changes that show damage to the heart muscle.

Electronic Pacemaker Evaluations

The life of your pacemaker battery can be checked in. This simple process will not affect your pacemaker settings.

Holter Monitoring

A Holter monitor is a transistor-like device that can record your heart beats for a day or longer. Abnormal beats can be studied to determine if they pose a threat to you.

M-Mode, Two-Dimensional and Doppler Echocardiograms

After a sensitizing jelly is applied, a hand-held probe is moved across the chest to capture sound waves. These sound waves are bounced off the heart to gauge motion, or lack of motion, in the heart muscle at various levels.

Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)

After a light sedative is administered, a very small tube is passed through your mouth toward the stomach until just next to the heart. Then, the same sound waves record heart structural motion as in the 2-D/M-Mode Echo. These pictures are clearer that other Echos because the lungs and ribs are not obscuring the view.

Treadmill Stress Test

Patches are placed on the chest and arms then heartbeats are monitored while you walk on a treadmill at increasing speeds. Also noted are your blood pressure or any type of pain in the chest. Chemical stress testing is available for those who cannot walk rapidly.

TREATMENT TERMS:

Cardiac Transplantation

When the heart muscle becomes weak from viral infections, multiple heart attacks or other events that affect the strength of the heart muscle, some patients can be eligible to receive a heart from an organ donor.

Gene Therapy

An investigational therapy used in patients with incapacitating angina who are not candidates for conventional bypass or angioplasty. This therapy involves a direct injection of a gene that codes for the manufacture of blood vessel growth factors into the heart muscle through a small incision under the left breast. This treatment is used to help the heart create new blood vessels (angiogenesis).

Endoscopic Vessel Harvest (EVH)

Less invasive way to harvest the vein from the leg which is used during coronary artery bypass surgery. The smaller incision results in fewer leg wound healing problems following surgery.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)

A small electrical device, inserted just below the collarbone, the ICD is slightly larger than a pacemaker (most have pacemaker ability also). Wires from the device are attached to patches directly on the heart. If the heart starts to beat too fast or out of control this device will deliver a shock to reset the heart's normal pattern.

Lifestyle Modification Counseling

How you can fit exercise and eating into your busy schedule and how these and other changes can reduce risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure and/or strokes. This is done as part of our Cardiac Rehab program.

Nutritional Counseling

Teaching how to purchase and prepare foods that are lower in fats, salt, and higher in fiber to prevent cholesterol, triglycerides and water retention. Also included is how to make smart choices when eating out.

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)

Very much like a cardiac catheterization except the hollow tube is used to pass a balloon into an area of blockage within the heart vessel. The balloon is inflated and can push the blockage down against the wall of the vessel allowing more blood flow.

Pharmacologic Treatment

A variety of drugs can be prescribed to control a variety of problems such as chest pain, shortness of breath, abnormal heart beats and high blood pressure. Preventing high cholesterol, increasing the strength of the heart or addressing other heart-related needs are additional goals of this modality.

Phase I, II, III Cardiac Rehabilitation

Initially, this treatment features increasing levels of exercise started within a day after admission for heart related problems and includes doing more for yourself, such as bathing with minimal or no assistance, to walking laps in the halls before discharge. This can be advanced by attending Rehab classes where you exercise on a treadmill, bicycle and/or work with weights.

Stent Placement

Same as PTCA, but using a small linked or coiled device, similar to a spring in a ball point pen, placed within the vessel to help hold it open after the balloon is used.

Thrombolytic Therapy

When chest pain comes on suddenly, it may be caused by a blood clot blocking blood flow to the heart. "Thrombolytic" drugs can dissolve these clots, especially if medical help is provided within a few hours of the onset of pain.