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| Echocardiograms:
Ultrasound to detect abnormalities of the heart muscle, valves,
and to measure blood flow and chamber sizes. |
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| Cardiac
catheterization: A procedure to evaluate patients
with chest pain or heart irregularities. Also called an angiogram,
thin catheters are threaded through blood vessels in the arm,
wrist or groin into the heart, and contrast dye is injected
to allow cardiologists to see inside the heart and the vessels.
This procedure is used to see how the heart is functioning
and if there are any blockages in the arteries feeding the
heart muscle. |
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Transradial
cardiac catheterization: Patients undergoing one
of cardiology's most common procedures, cardiac catheterization,
are typically required to lie nearly perfectly still on
their backs for about four hours to reduce the chance of
a serious bleeding complication. With a new approach that
proponents say is much more comfortable and safer for patients,
Ozarks Medical Center cardiologists are increasingly initiating
catheterization in the wrist, known as transradial catheterization.
| More
information about transradial catheterization |
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| Open
Heart Surgery: When angioplasty and stents are not
an option, open-heart surgery may be recommended to bypass
blocked arteries. During heart bypass surgery, healthy blood
vessels are taken from a patient’s leg and used to create
a detour around blocked coronary arteries. |
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| Balloon
Angioplasty and Stent Placement: At the same time
of your cardiac catheterization, blockages found can be treated.
Thrombectomy uses a special catheter and removes blood clots
from your heart arteries. Balloon angioplasty is used to push
the blockage outward against the wall of the heart artery.
Atherectomy uses a special catheter that cuts out the blockage.
Stent Placement positions a sleeve-like metallic scaffold
to hold the heart artery open. You may have one or all of
these techniques performed in order to promptly relieve chest
pain and reduce the risk of heart attack or death. |
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| Defibrillator
Placement: An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
(ICD) treats life-threatening heart rhythms by a shock to
the heart, correcting the abnormal rhythm. Besides “zapping”
the heart back to a normal rhythm, ICDs generate milder electrical
impulses which can artificially regulate or “pace”
the heartbeat. |
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| Permanent
Pacemaker Placement: Placed under the skin in the
upper chest attached to soft, flexible wires leading to the
heart to help keep regular heart rhythm intact when the patient's
own system slows or fails. Can be programmed using a special
computer. |
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| Peripheral
Arterial Disease (PAD): PAD occurs most often in
the arteries in the legs, but it can also affect other arteries
that carry blood outside the heart. People with PAD have a
two to six times greater chance of death from a heart attack
or stroke. The good news is PAD can be treated. The same treatments
performed on your heart can be performed for PAD. The most
common signs of PAD include fatigue, tiredness or pain in
your legs, thighs or buttocks when you walk, but goes away
at rest; foot or toe pain at rest that often disturbs sleep;
or skin wounds or ulcers on your feet that are slow to heal.
If you think you have PAD, see your health care provider. |
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| Cardiac
Rehabilitation: Patients who have suffered a heart
attack, had balloon angioplasty, stent placement, had open
heart surgery or valve replacement may be referred to OMC
Cardiac Rehabilitation Services. The cardiac rehab gym includes
treadmills, exercise bikes and weight-lifting equipment. Trained
staff are on hand at all times to assist patients with monitored
exercise, education and emotional support. |
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