Our team of interventional specialists provides treatment for patients
diagnosed with one of the following conditions:
Angina
Angina pectoris is the medical term for chest pain or discomfort due to
coronary heart disease. Angina is a symptom of a condition called myocardial
ischemia. It occurs when the heart muscle (myocardium) doesn't get
as much blood (hence as much oxygen) as it needs. This usually happens
because one or more of the heart's arteries (blood vessels that supply
blood to the heart muscle) is narrowed or blocked. Insufficient blood
supply is called ischemia.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed
and doesn't work as well as it should. There may be multiple causes
including viral infections.
Cardiomyopathy can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary cardiomyopathy
can't be attributed to a specific cause, such as high blood pressure,
heart valve disease, artery diseases or congenital heart defects. Secondary
cardiomyopathy is due to specific causes. It's often associated with
diseases involving other organs as well as the heart.
There are three main types of cardiomyopathy: dilated, hypertrophic and
restrictive.
Claudication
Claudication is a symptom of peripheral vascular disease, involving discomfort
or pain in your legs that happens when you walk and goes away when you
rest. You may not always feel pain; instead you may feel a tightness,
heaviness, cramping, or weakness in one or both of your legs. Claudication
often occurs more quickly if you walk uphill or up a flight of stairs.
Over time, you may feel claudication at shorter walking distances, as
the degree of artery blockage worsens.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the arteries that supply blood
to the heart muscle (the coronary arteries) become hardened and narrowed.
The arteries harden and narrow due to buildup of a material called plaque
(plak) on their inner walls. The buildup of plaque is known as atherosclerosis
(ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis). As the plaque increases in size, the insides of
the coronary arteries get narrower and less blood can flow through them.
Eventually, blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced, and, because blood
carries much-needed oxygen, the heart muscle is not able to receive the
amount of oxygen it needs. Reduced or cutoff blood flow and oxygen supply
to the heart muscle can result in:
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Angina (AN-ji-na or an-JI-na). Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs
when the heart does not get enough blood.
-
Heart attack A heart attack happens when a blood clot develops at the site of plaque
in a coronary artery and suddenly cuts off most or all blood supply to
that part of the heart muscle. Cells in the heart muscle begin to die
if they do not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. This can cause permanent
damage to the heart muscle.
Over time, CAD can weaken the heart muscle and contribute to:
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Heart failure In heart failure, the heart can’t pump blood effectively to the
rest of the body. Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped
or is about to stop. Instead, it means that the heart is failing to pump
blood the way that it should.
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Arrhythmias (a-RITH-me-as). Arrhythmias are changes in the normal beating rhythm of
the heart. Some can be quite serious.
CAD is the most common type of heart disease. It is the leading cause of
death in the United States in both men and women.
Heart Attack
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle
itself — the myocardium — is severely reduced or stopped.
The reduction or stoppage happens when one or more of the coronary arteries
supplying blood to the heart muscle are blocked. This is usually caused
by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), a process
called atherosclerosis. The plaque can eventually burst, tear or rupture,
creating a "snag" where a blood clot forms and blocks the artery.
This leads to a heart attack.
Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition whereby fatty deposits build
in the inner linings of the artery walls. The blockages restrict blood
circulation, primarily in the arteries leading to the kidneys, stomach,
arms, legs and feet.
Diagnosing PAD may be done with:
- An abnormal ratio between the blood pressure of the ankle and arm (ankle/brachial
index, or ABI)
- A Doppler ultrasound exam of an extremity
- Angiography of the arteries in the legs (arteriography)
- Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) of the extremity
- An MRI scan
For more patients, PAD can be treated with lifestyle changes including
smoking cessation, controlling diabetes and blood pressure, more physical
activity, a low-cholesterol and a low-saturated fat diet. Some patients
require medications to improve their ability to walk longer distances,
antiplatelet agents or cholesterol-lowering agents. In some cases, angioplasty
or surgery is necessary.
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Peripheral vascular diseases are those related to the blood vessels outside
the heart and brain. Often they are the narrowing of vessels carrying
blood to the legs, arms, stomach or kidneys, i.e., “hardening of
the arteries.” There are two categories of these circulation problems:
functional and organic.
Functional peripheral vascular diseases don’t have an organic cause.
That is, the blood vessels aren’t defective. Usually, the effects
are short term, related to a spasm, and come and go. They may be triggered
by cold, emotional stress, working with vibrating machinery or smoking.
Organic peripheral vascular diseases result from structural changes in
the blood vessels, such as inflammation or damage to the tissues.
Claudication
Claudication is discomfort or pain in your legs that happens when you walk
and goes away when you rest. You may not always feel pain; instead you
may feel a tightness, heaviness, cramping, or weakness in one or both
of your legs. Claudication often occurs more quickly if you walk uphill
or up a flight of stairs. Over time, you may feel claudication at shorter
walking distances, as the degree of artery blockage worsens.