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Cardiology is the medical specialty that deals with conditions of the heart. Conditions that are treated by a cardiologist include:

Congenital heart defects
Coronary artery disease
Heart failure
Cardiovascular disease

Preventative Cardiology

Preventive cardiology is a medical discipline that revolves around maintaining cardiovascular health and averting the onset or recurrence of disease. This type of care is recommended for patients with a personal or family history of heart disease, very high cholesterol levels, severe hypertension or metabolic syndrome. The goal of preventive cardiology is to lower the patient's risk of developing or worsening a cardiac condition through a combination of education about lifestyle changes and medical management and monitoring. After an examination, testing and assessment, each patient is provided with a personalized treatment plan designed to prevent or rehabilitate cardiac problems.

Interventional Cardiology

Interventional cardiology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of certain heart problems through the use of catheters. Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to place the catheter, which is a long, thin tube, in the heart or a nearby artery. During this procedure, a catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in the arm, groin or neck area and guided to the heart. When the catheter reaches the heart, it can be used to:

Detect any blockages or abnormalities
Take a blood or muscle sample
Measure blood pressure and oxygen levels
Detect and repair congenital heart defects
Repair or replace heart valves
Perform an angioplasty
Perform a balloon valvuloplasty
Correct arrhythmia

Cardiac catheterization is usually performed in a hospital but does not require the use of anesthesia. It is a safe procedure with little to no pain and a low risk of complications.

Nuclear Cardiology

Studying tissue function with nuclear medicine can help a physician diagnose many kinds of diseases, tumors, infections and other disorders in the brain, heart, lungs, bone, bowel, kidneys, thyroids and other internal structures.

Nuclear cardiology focuses on imaging the heart to locate or diagnose problems with the heart. This is done by administering a contrast dye to the patient, which helps with visibility of specific organs and structures. Scans may be performed in conjunction with other types of imaging, such as CT, MRI or X-ray, or with stress tests to determine the cause of unexplained chest pain.

Diagnostic Tests for Cardiovascular Conditions

Some of the most common diagnostic tests used to diagnose or evaluate many heart conditions include the following:

MRI

MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a non-invasive, radiation-free scanning technology. It is a test that uses radio waves and magnetic fields to produce clear and detailed three-dimensional images of organs and hard and soft tissues throughout the body.

Electrocardiogram

An electrocardiogram is a diagnostic test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. Also known as an EKG or ECG, the electrocardiogram translates the information it receives into a pattern of waves for analysis.

Stress test

A stress test is a diagnostic test used to determine the amount of stress your heart can manage before exhibiting abnormalities such as arrhythmia or ischemia. Stress tests are performed through a series of exercise activities during which your heart rate, breathing and blood pressure are monitored.

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24 Hour Blood Pressure Monitor

An ambulatory blood pressure monitor is a small device worn on a belt, with a blood pressure cuff wrapped around the arm under the clothes for a 24-hour period in order to regularly check blood pressure levels.

Anticoagulation Therapy

Anticoagulation therapy involves the use of certain medications to prevent blood clots from forming in the circulatory system. If a blood clot forms in a vein or artery, it can travel to the heart, brain or lungs, causing, depending on the clot's location, a heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism. People who have irregular heart rhythms (atrial fibrillation) or congenital heart defects, or who have had coronary stents inserted or undergone heart-valve surgery, have a greater likelihood of getting blood clots.

Atrial Septal Defect Repair

An atrial septal defect is a hole in the atrial septum, the wall separating the two upper chambers of the heart. The defect allows blood flow between the left and right upper chambers of the heart, resulting in the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. The hole, while normal during fetal development, is a serious condition that may result in damage to the heart and lungs and a shortened life span. About half of all atrial septal defects close up on their own during infancy or childhood. In other cases, depending on size, location and severity of the defect, surgery is required.

Balloon Valvuloplasty

A balloon valvuloplasty is a surgical procedure used to correct pulmonary valve stenosis. Pulmonary valve stenosis is a condition that slows the blood flow from the heart to the lungs as a result of narrowed heart valves. Stenosis, or narrowing, occurs when the valve cannot open wide enough and results in less blood flow to the lungs. Many cases of pulmonary valve stenosis are mild and do not cause symptoms. However when the condition is severe, symptoms may be serious and treatment is necessary.

Blood Thinners

Blood thinners are medications used to prevent blood clots from forming in the circulatory system. If a blood clot forms in a vein or artery, it can travel to the heart, brain or lungs, causing, depending on the clot's location, a heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism. People who have irregular heart rhythms (atrial fibrillation) or congenital heart defects, or who have had coronary stents inserted or undergone heart-valve surgery, have a greater likelihood of getting blood clots.

Cardiac Ablation

Cardiac ablation is a procedure performed to treat arrhythmia, an abnormal heart rhythm. The cardiac ablation procedure uses small wires called electrodes, that are placed inside the heart to measure electrical activity. Cardiac ablation helps to prevent abnormal electrical signals from traveling through the heart, which can stop an arrhythmia. These electrodes may also be used to scar or destroy tissue in the heart that triggers an abnormal heart rhythm. Cardiac ablation is often used to treat certain heart rhythm problems that have not responded to medication or other forms of treatment.

Cardiac Pacemaker Implantation

A cardiac pacemaker is a device that is implanted under the skin to help control an individual's heart beat. This device is often used in people who have an arrhythmia, or abnormal heart beat, or in people whose heart beats too fast or too slow. A cardiac pacemaker sends signals to the heart that help it to beat at the correct and healthy pace. A cardiac pacemaker helps to track the heartbeat and maintain an adequate heart beat frequency to allow oxygen and nutrients to flow through the body.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is a customized and medically supervised program of exercise and education, designed to help patients recuperate from a heart attack, and other forms of heart disease or heart surgery. The focus of this program is help individuals regain strength, resume regular activities, reduce the risk of future heart-related problems and improve their health and quality of life.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), also known as biventricular pacing, is a relatively new approach to tackling the problem of heart arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm). CRT involves implanting a pacemaker to normalize heart rhythm, and alleviate symptoms associated with arrhythmia. It differs from other therapies using pacemakers by addressing the fact that, in approximately 30 percent of heart failure patients, the ventricles do not pump blood at precisely the same time. This lack of synchronicity results in decreased efficiency of blood flow.

Cardioversion

Cardioversion is a medical procedure used to treat irregular heart rhythm, a condition also known as arrhythmia. Arrhythmia can prevent the heart from pumping enough blood to the rest of the body and eventually lead to a stroke, heart attack or cardiac arrest. Cardioversion helps restore a normal heartbeat through a noninvasive procedure.

Chiropractic Care for High Blood Pressure

Chiropractic adjustments, long known to be beneficial for back and joint problems, have now also been validated as a means of reducing high blood pressure (hypertension). A recent study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension gives evidence that a chiropractic procedure tailored to the individual patient can significantly reduce hypertension within 8 weeks. The study was performed on 50 patients with early stage high blood pressure, none of whom were taking medication for the condition. The patients were divided into two groups, only one of which actually received appropriate chiropractic treatment. The others, used as a control group, underwent placebo procedures. Those who received appropriate chiropractic treatment had a 14 point...

Coronary Angioplasty

A coronary angioplasty is a procedure performed to improve blood flow in the arteries of the heart, by re-opening or enlarging blocked blood vessels. The blockages usually develop as a result of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries and causes them to harden and narrow, often leading to coronary artery disease. A coronary angioplasty involves the insertion of a tiny balloon that is inflated to open and widen the artery. It is often combined with the insertion of a small wire tube called a stent, that helps to keep the artery open, so it will not narrow again in the future.

Coronary Arteriogram

A coronary arteriogram, also known as arteriography, is a diagnostic procedure to examine the blood vessels and chambers within the heart using X-ray imaging. This procedure is performed by inserting a catheter into a blood vessel in the upper thigh or arm area and threaded to the heart where a contrast dye is delivered. The dye is visible on the X-ray images and can help identify any abnormalities within the heart.

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Coronary artery disease is a condition in which the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart become narrowed and hardened. Typically, this condition is caused by the build up of plaque and fat on artery walls, which narrows the vessels that connect to the heart. This narrowing of the arteries restricts blood from reaching the heart, and proper circulation of blood and oxygen is not provided to the heart and its surrounding tissue. Blood clots can also form and completely block the artery. Coronary artery disease develops gradually and can eventually lead to a heart attack or heart failure.

Coronary Computed Tomography Angiogram

A coronary computed tomography angiogram, also known as a coronary CTA, is a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure used to detect a buildup of fat or calcium within the coronary arteries, the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Through images produced with contrast dye, the coronary CTA examines the blood vessels of the body to help identify any abnormalities.

Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is an electronic device that is implanted under the skin, and is used to detect an abnormal heartbeat. An ICD is often implanted in individuals with irregular heartbeats or heart arrhythmias. This device uses electrical impulses to control dangerous arrhythmias that may lead to heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. If an abnormal heartbeat is detected, the ICD will deliver an internal electric shock to the heart, restoring a normal heart beat as needed.

Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Magnetic resonance angiography, also known as MRA, is a diagnostic test that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of blood vessels and blood flow within the body. MRA can help doctors detect, diagnose and treat blood vessel disorders and diseases such as stroke, aneurysm, clots, obstructions, and vascular disease in the heart, head, major organs, and extremities.

Stenting

A stent is a small, expandable mesh cylinder that is used to keep narrowed arteries and blood vessels open. In terms of the heart, a stent is surgically placed in a coronary artery during a coronary (balloon) angioplasty, which is a procedure performed to improve blood flow in the arteries of the heart by reopening or enlarging blocked blood vessels. The stent also helps the artery from re-narrowing. Over time, the inside lining of the artery grows over the metal surface of the stent.

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Services

Preventative Cardiology

Interventional Cardiology

Nuclear Cardiology

Diagnostic Tests for Cardiovascular Conditions

MRI

Electrocardiogram

Stress test

Additional Resources

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