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A test that combines an ultrasound study of the heart (echocardiogram) and an exercise tolerance test. This test helps to identify areas of decreased blood flow to the heart muscle or blockages in the coronary arteries.

Holter monitoring provides a continuous recording of heart rhythm during normal activity. The monitor is usually worn for 24 hours to obtain a recording of a complete day. This test will help the doctor evaluate the type and amount of irregular heartbeats during regular activities, exercise and sleep.

An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) is a small electronic device placed permanently inside your body. You may be given an ICD if you have had a cardiac arrest or if you have a fast heart rhythm problem that could lead to cardiac arrest. The ICD continuously monitors your heart rhythm (the speed and pattern of your heartbeat) and if the ICD senses a dangerous heart rhythm, it can send out one or more electrical shocks to return the heart to its normal rhythm. Lifelong monitoring is necessary to be sure that your ICD continues working correctly and to check for any further changes in your heart rhythm.

A MIBI Stress Test is a study that combines exercise tolerance testing and nuclear imaging to evaluate blood flow to your heart muscle. MIBI is a low-level isotope used to highlight the heart muscle and evaluate its blood supply. This test is used to diagnose the presence of coronary artery disease. It is usually performed when patients have angina, unexplained chest pain, shortness of breath, or known coronary artery disease.

If you've had a pacemaker or ICD implanted by one of our physicians, we will periodically check the function of your device. This is done by placing a magnet on the battery area of the device. The computer does the rest. An amazing amount of information is stored on the pacemaker about how your heart is functioning and this can help to tailor your treatment plan.

A pacemaker is a small, lightweight electronic device that's placed permanently inside your body to treat a slow heart rhythm. A pacemaker keeps track of your heartbeat, and when necessary generates electrical signals similar to the heart's natural signals to keep your heart beating at the right speed. Lifelong, regular checkups help make sure that your pacemaker continues to run smoothly.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries using angioplasty and stent implantation during a heart attack. The procedure is performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory on an emergency basis. Once a blocked coronary artery has been located after a cardiac catheterization, a small wire is advanced into the artery and past the blockage. Then, over this wire, a balloon catheter is advanced and the balloon is inflated. By inflating the balloon, the blockage is opened.

A stent is a small metal mesh tube that is secured to a balloon at the end of a delivery catheter. This may also be implanted if your cardiologist determines that it is needed. Once the stent is placed exactly over the blockage, the balloon is inflated, expanding the stent into the wall of the artery. When the balloon is deflated, the stent remains in place permanently. Over time, the lining of the artery wall will grow around the stent as the stent continues to support the vessel.

Elliot Hospital has established relationships with area ambulance services to allow for transmission of electrocardiograms from the ambulance prior to arrival in the Emergency Department. This allows for early activation of the cardiac cath lab team, resulting in quicker transport to the cath lab for this procedure.

After discharge from the hospital, you may need assistance with changes in lifestyle (i.e. smoking cessation, increasing physical activity and improving diet). You will most likely need to take Plavix® for a few months after discharge if a stent has been implanted to prevent artery closure. You may also be prescribed aspirin, cholesterol lowering agents and other medications as determined by your cardiologist. You will require follow-up with the cardiologist to check medication and lifestyle changes.

If there are blockages in the arteries in your body that are causing symptoms ranging from arm or leg pain, high blood pressure or stroke, traditionally this was fixed with a surgical procedure. Now, many of these problems can be repaired with only a minor procedure performed through a tube thinner than a drinking straw, which require no overnight stay and virtually no recovery time. General anesthesia is not needed and only mild sedation is used to keep you relaxed and lightly napping through the procedure. Arteries are typically opened with tiny balloons and small metal tubes called stents are sometimes used to prop open the blocked vessels. Patients typically leave the same afternoon and are immediately pain free. The risks associated with this type of approach are far less than those of surgical arterial repair.

A common cause of chronic leg pain is poor circulation. The medical name for this condition is peripheral artery disease, or PAD. PAD can seriously impair a person's ability to walk and function independently.
Patients with this may experience pain in their legs, hip or buttocks when walking a certain distance. Resting usually relieves the pain but it returns when walking that same distance again. These symptoms are known as intermittent claudication. A person experiencing these symptoms should call their doctor.

Common Risk Factors for PAD include:

• Family history of heart or vascular disease
• History of smoking
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Obesity

Your doctor can diagnose PAD using different tests including ultrasound, CT scanning or MRA. Additionally, the diagnosis can be made using a test called an arteriogram. An arteriogram is a special x-ray of the arteries. If treatment is needed, here at the Elliot Health System, we can provide a number of non- surgical options, such as angioplasty and vascular stent placement.

Stent implantation is an exciting option for patients with PAD; this is a major improvement in the way that vascular disease is being treated. With a stent, patients can get back on their feet right away, without leg pain and return to a more active and independent life almost immediately, with virtually no post-procedural recovery time.

A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is a test that doctors use to obtain images of the heart from inside the esophagus (swallowing tube). The esophagus lies immediately behind the heart and with this technology; very clear images of the heart can be obtained. This test is used by doctors to visualize structures of the heart not seen by a standard echocardiogram (from the outside chest wall) as well as clarify structures that may be otherwise poorly seen.

An Upright Tilt Table Test (Tilt Test) is used to assess symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness and/or syncope (fainting, passing or "falling" out). It is performed to try to reproduce the symptoms while being monitored. Lightheadedness or syncope can result from a rapid fall in blood pressure, which can occur when moving from a supine (flat) or sitting position to a standing position. It sometimes involves reflex receptors in the heart, which may prevent the heart from beating quickly or forcefully enough to provide sufficient blood flow to the brain. This can result in the symptoms described above. The tilt table test is a procedure that involves monitoring your heart rate and blood pressure in both the supine and upright positions in an effort to uncover this abnormal reflex.