Cardiology

When you come to us with cardiovascular complications, it is our top priority to make sure you get the most accurate diagnosis possible. This is why we offer such a broad spectrum of advanced cardiac screening and imaging tools to quickly and accurately pinpoint the extent and cause of the problem. These tools include:

• Computerized tomography angiography (CTA)
• Coronary calcium scans
• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Electrophysiology (EP) studies
• Exercise stress testing
• Holter monitoring
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Multidetector cardiac CT (MDCT) scan
• Nuclear medicine
• Ultrasound
• X-rays

Cardiac catheterization laboratories (cath labs)

Additionally, both our inpatient and outpatient cath labs are equipped with the latest monitoring and imaging equipment, allowing for extreme precision in catheter and stent placement. Using X-rays and a catheter to view the inside of an artery or blood vessel, these techniques let our skilled specialists diagnose and immediately treat heart conditions.

Whether you are recovering from cardiac surgery or your condition doesn't necessarily require surgical intervention, we offer numerous nonsurgical treatments for cardiovascular disorders. We are here to provide you with a breadth of inpatient and outpatient healing care to help you lead a healthier life, including lifestyle education, physical therapy and medication management.

Additionally, we provide enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP). This advanced, noninvasive outpatient treatment can help with symptoms of certain heart issues, including angina and heart failure. Currently, EECP is available at our affiliated facility, TriCities Hospital.

Many of the hospitals in our health system are equipped with an experienced team of heart and vascular surgeons to service most cardiovascular conditions.

Some of the surgical treatments we offer include:

• Cardiothoracic procedures
• Carotid artery surgery
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
• Convergent maze procedure
• Cox maze procedure
• Mitral valve replacement
• Peripheral artery bypass
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
• Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR)
• Ventricular assist device (VAD)

Additionally, our surgeons lead the field in the area of minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedures. This allows you to recover much sooner and with less pain and scarring.

Cardiac arrest treatments

Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack. A heart attack relates to an interruption in blood flow, but cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. However, the source of cardiac arrest is an arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat). If you have an arrhythmia, sudden cardiac arrest can occur at any age, regardless of lifestyle, so knowing your treatment options is critical.

Pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and subcutaneous ICDs (S-ICDs) are implantable devices that use electrical impulses to stimulate the heart and effectively treat cardiac arrest. Pacemakers send small electrical pulses to the heart to control abnormally slow rhythms. ICDs send electric shocks to the heart to restore normal heart rhythms when your heart is beating dangerously fast.

If you have a cardiac event, such as a heart attack, stent placement or other surgery, your doctor may recommend cardiac rehabilitation to help you recover. You may also benefit from cardiac rehabilitation if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or lifestyle-related conditions, such as obesity or high stress levels.

No matter why you come to us, our heart rehabilitation programs have dedicated staff who support you and your family. They help you heal and adjust to life following your cardiac event.

HCA Virginia Health System participates in a number of ongoing cardiovascular research projects and clinical trials through the Sarah Cannon Research Institute. If you qualify, these projects offer you access to new treatments before they are widely available. They also give you the opportunity to contribute to medical research that can help yourself and others.

To learn more about these and other clinical research trial options, talk to our doctors.