Helpful Information

• What is AFib?

• Aortic Stenosis

• Blood Pressure: How Do You Measure Up?

• Breast Cancer Illustration

• Cardiovascular Health Illustration

• Digestive System Health Illustration

• Osteoarthritis Illustration

• Respiratory Health Illustration

• Rheumatoid Arthritis Illustration

• Terms to Know Regarding the Heart

Printable Patient Handouts

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Procedure Descriptions

• Ablation Therapy - a type of minimally invasive procedure used to remove abnormal tissue that occurs with some heart conditions, blood vessel (vascular) conditions, reproductive conditions and cancer. Doctors may perform procedures using catheters inserted through an artery. Imaging techniques are usually used to guide ablation. Doctors injure or destroy (ablate) abnormal tissue using heat (radiofrequency ablation), extreme cold (cryoablation), lasers or a chemical. Ablation therapy may spare healthy tissue and lower the risks and discomforts of open surgery. Patients may have a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery compared to open surgery.

• Angioplasty - opens blocked arteries and restores normal blood flow to your heart. It is done by threading a catheter through a small puncture in a leg or arm artery to the heart. The blocked artery is opened by inflating a tiny balloon in it.

• Aortic Angiography - a procedure that uses a special dye and x-rays to see how blood flows through the aorta, the major artery leading out of the heart, and through your abdomen.

• Cardiac Catheterization (Heart Cath) - physicians specialized in Interventional Cardiology use catheters (thin, flexible tubes) that are inserted into blood vessels and guided to the heart to “see” any problems and open clogged arteries. Catheters can be used to improve blood flow in clogged arteries by inserting and expanding balloons into blood vessels (percutaneous coronary intervention or PCI) and implanting or deploying devices called stents, which help to keep blood vessels open. Catheterization procedures can enable patients to avoid more complex heart surgery.

• Cardioversion - if your heart has an irregular (uneven) beat or is beating too fast, cardioversion is a way to restore a regular rhythm. Abnormal heart rhythms are called arrhythmias.

• Carotid Duplex Ultrasound - Ultrasound is a study that uses sound waves to "see" inside your body. A carotid duplex ultrasound is performed to evaluate symptoms including dizziness, loss of memory, stroke, loss of musclecontrol and other symptoms that might result from narrowing or blockage of the vessels (carotid arteries) on either side of your neck. A carotid ultrasound can also be used to screen for stroke risk.

• Coronary Angiogram - a procedure that uses x-ray imaging to see your heart’s blood vessels. Coronary angiograms are part of a general group of procedures known as heart catheterization. During a coronary angiogram, a type of dye that’s visible by an x-ray machine rapidly takes a series of images (angiograms), offering a detailed look at the inside of your blood vessels.

• Dexascan - a Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan is a common technique used to measure bone density. It is completely painless, easily performed, and exposes the patient to minimal radiation.

• Echocardiography - an echocardiogram (echo) is an ultrasound of the heart. It shows the internal structure, and how the blood flows through it. The echo measures the size and shape of the heart, how well the valves are functioning, how the left and right side communicate, and the velocity of the blood leaving the heart. An echo is used to detect heart diseases such as coronary heart disease (blockages in arteries of heart), valvular heart disease (damaged heart valves), pericardial disease (damaged sac surrounding the heart), and congenital heart disease (heart defects present from birth).

• Electrocardiography - an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. An EKG shows the heart's electrical activity as line tracings on paper. The spikes and dips in the tracings are called waves.

• Holter Monitor - a battery-operated portable device that measures and tape records your heart's activity (ECG) continuously for 24 to 48 hours or longer depending on the monitor used. The device is the size of a small camera. It has wires with silver dollar-sized electrodes that attach to your skin.

• Intracoronary Stent - a medical device that is placed inside the arteries to increase the width of blood vessels. This is accomplished by placing a small cylinder shaped mesh stent into the arteries using a medical procedure called angioplasty.

• Lipid Panel - also known as a lipid profile, a lipid panel is a blood test that measures fats and fatty substances known as lipids, which are used as energy in your body. If levels become too high and unbalanced, lipids can build up in the artery walls to form plaque, which can obstruct blood flow through the arteries and increase cardiovascular disease and stroke risks. The basic lipid panel measures total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. A more extensive panel also includes VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein), ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, and ratio of LDL to HDL.

• Myocardial Perfusion (Nuclear Stress Test) - Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is a non-invasive imaging test that shows how well blood flows through (perfuses) your heart muscle. It can show areas of the heart muscle that aren’t getting enough blood flow. It can also show how well the heart muscle is pumping.

• Nuclear Imaging - Nuclear imaging is used to study organ and tissue function. A tiny amount of a radioactive substance is used during the procedure to assist in the exam. The radioactive substance, called a radionuclide, is absorbed by body tissue. By measuring the behavior of the radionuclide in the body during a nuclear scan, the healthcare provider can assess and diagnose various conditions, such as tumors, infections, hematomas, organ enlargement, or cysts. A nuclear scan may also be used to assess organ function and blood circulation.

• Pacemaker and Defibrillator Implantation - A pacemaker is a small device that helps the heart beat at a regular rhythm and rate. It can send electrical pulses if the heart is beating too slowly or skipping beats or if the heart’s chambers are not squeezing in sync. A doctor places the pacemaker inside the body (implantation). A defibrillator (implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD) is similar to a pacemaker. It sends electrical shocks to the heart if the heart beats in a disorganized way (chaotically). A defibrillator is also placed inside the body by a doctor. Inserting a pacemaker or defibrillator takes about 3 hours.

• Tilt Table Test - A tilt table test attempts to determine the cause syncope by creating changes in posture from lying to standing. You will lie flat on a special bed or table with special safety belts and a footrest while connected to electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure monitors. The bed or table is then elevated to an almost standing position (60° to 80° vertical angle) to simulate standing up from a lying position. The blood pressure and ECG are measured during the test to evaluate changes during the position changes. If the test causes you to faint, the table will quickly be returned to a flat position to help you regain consciousness. The information collected can then be used to help your healthcare provider prescribe treatment.

• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) - Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure that replaces a diseased aortic valve with a man-made valve. Aortic valve replacement can also be performed with open-heart surgery; this procedure is surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).

• Transesophageal Echocardiogram - A traditional echocardiogram is done by putting the transducer on the surface of the chest. This is called a transthoracic echocardiogram. A transesophageal echocardiogram is done by inserting a probe with a transducer down the esophagus. This provides a clearer image of the heart because the sound waves do not have to pass through skin, muscle, or bone tissue.

• Venipuncture - A procedure in which a needle is used to take blood from a vein, usually for laboratory testing. Venipuncture may also be done to remove extra red blood cells from the blood, to treat certain blood disorders. Also called blood draw and phlebotomy.

• X-Rays - An X-ray is a quick, painless test that produces images of the structures inside your body — particularly your bones. X-ray beams pass through your body, and they are absorbed in different amounts depending on the density of the material they pass through.