Giving residents of the south-central Ozarks access to state-of-the-art cardiac diagnostic and surgical procedures and rehabilitation treatment is the goal of Cardiology Services at Ozarks Medical Center.

A cardiology center, designed to meet the needs of the growing community, centralizes a number of the outpatient diagnostic procedures in one location. The center also houses suites for three cardiologists and a cardiac, chest and vascular surgeon and OMC Cardiac Rehabilitation Services, a comprehensive prevention and recovery program designed for those with heart disease or those at risk for heart disease. Early in 2005 OMC added Open Heart Surgical Services.

OMC's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory recently underwent a $1.1 million renovation that features the very latest in cardiac technology.

For more information about cardiology services offered at OMC, call 417/ 257-5950.

Cardiac Diagnostic Procedures

Stress testing, used to evaluate chest pain and the level of cardiac function, is offered at OMC's Cardiac Diagnostic Lab.

Patients undergoing an active stress test walk on a treadmill at various grades and speeds while the electrical activity of their heart is monitored with a 12-lede EKG machine. Chemical stress tests, in which chemical substances are administered to stimulate the heart as if it were being exercised, are offered in some cases. Both tests are designed to show physicians how the heart reacts to the stress of exercise.

Other diagnostic cardiac tests include:

OMC Cardiology Services also offers Holter monitoring, in which a portable digital monitoring device is worn by the patient for 24 to 48 hours to detect irregular heartbeats and palpitations. The device senses heart disturbances to allow physicians to determine if any further diagnostic tests or treatments are necessary.

Cardiac Catheterization Lab

Cardiac catheterization, a non-surgical diagnostic procedure, is used to evaluate patients who exhibit chest pain or heart irregularities. Also called an angiogram, thin catheters are threaded through blood vessels and into the heart, and contrast dye is injected into the catheters to allow cardiologists to see inside the heart and the vessels. This procedure if often used to see how the heart is functioning and to determine if there are any blockages in the arteries or vessels surrounding the heart.

Cardiac catheterization also is used to measure blood flow pressures on the right side of the heart and the measure how heart valves are functioning. OMC's cardiac cathertization lab went through a $1.1 million renovation. Patients now have access to state-of-the-art vascular and cardiac imaging procedures. The fully digital Phillips Integris imaging system uses leading edge technology to help diagnose heart problems. The use of digital imaging ensures high quality images while dramatically reducing the amount of radiation exposure. The images can then be sent directly to the patient's personal physician or cardiologists for review or to other healthcare facilities for surgical or second consultations.

Open Heart Surgical Services

When angioplasty and stents are not an option, open-heart surgery may be conducted to bypass blocked arteries. During heart bypass surgery, healthy blood vessels are typically taken from a patient’s leg and used to construct a detour around blocked coronary arteries.One end of the vessel is attached right below the blockage while the other end is grafted right above the blockage, usually to the aorta. Afterwards, blood flow can return to normal.

Open-heart surgeries began at OMC on Jan. 24, 2005. “The success of our open-heart program is built upon our highly skilled surgical team," said OMC President and CEO Phil Bagby. “We are excited to have such an experienced heart care team at OMC.”

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Patients who have suffered a heart attack or may be at risk for having heart disease may be referred to OMC Cardiac Rehabilitation Services. Through monitored exercise, education and emotional support, patients learn skills which can help strengthen their cardiac system to put them on the road to recovery and help prevent further heart complications.

The cardiac rehabilitation gym includes treadmills, exercise bikes and weight-lifting equipment. Trained staff members are on hand at all times to assist patients in using the equipment and in developing a personal fitness program designed to meet each patient's health needs.

Because learning about heart disease management and living heart healthy is crucial to the recovery process, trained staff members offer education materials on nutrition, reducing cholesterol levels, cardiac risk factors and weight management.

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