MEDICAL SERVICES & PROCEDURES
PATIENT EDUCATION
The key to cardiovascular health is knowledge. We can't emphasize enough that we are a team and lifestyle changes with diet, exercise and smoking cessation are essential for heart health. We will give you the tools to make quality day to day choices so we can keep you and your loved ones healthy.
CARDIOLOGY CONSULTATION
Whether you already have heart disease or are just curious about your risk of getting it, a consultation can provide a wealth of information. Your medications will be optimized and explained to you. Your risk factors will be assessed. These include but are not limited to your personal family history, gender, blood pressure, and cholesterol just to name a few. Your symptoms will be addressed, a baselines ECG done and a plan of action formed.
HYPERTENSION EVALUATION
Hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease and it is wildly under treated. Unfortunately, high blood pressure rarely presents with symptoms so it needs to be checked regularly. Fortunately, we have many tools at our disposal to get your high blood pressure at target therefore reducing your risk of stroke, heart attacks and death.
ECHOCARDIOGRAM
This painless noninvasive test is an ultrasound that offers a detailed look at your heart. We can see how your heart functions, and diagnose any valvular disease.
CARDIAC STRESS TEST
Make sure to bring your sneakers. A short walk on the treadmill offers a wealth of information. A continuous electrocardiogram or the electrical activity of the heart is monitored while you walk. From these readings we are able to diagnose severe blockages in the arteries around the heart. We are also able to diagnose irregular heart rhythms.
CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION
If there is a high suspicion for blockages in the arteries around the heart a cardiac catheterization would give the answer. This procedure involves placing a catheter in an artery which is then advanced into the arteries around the heart. Contrast dye is injected and X-ray videos are taken which are able to show blockages in any of your coronary arteries.
INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY
Interventional cardiology is a subspecialty of general cardiology is which the interventionalist is trained to place stents into the coronary arteries. This is how we treat heart attacks.
Dr. Fayez Shamoon has opened up thousands of blocked arteries. He is one of the most well known interventionists in the area and is known to tackle the hardest cases that no average physician can treat. He is a known teacher to other young physicians in interventional cardiology and his experience is unmatched.
VASCULAR STUDIES
Blockages in your arteries are not limited to your heart. You can get blockages in any of the arteries around your body. These include the arteries that give oxygen to your legs and arms to your carotids which supply the front portion of your brain. Through a noninvasive ultrasound study we are able to quantify if there are blockages in these arteries and direct our treatment appropriately.
HEART FAILURE MANAGEMENT
One of the most common diseases affecting our patients is heart failure. Heart failure is when the heart muscle itself is weak and cannot pump blood out well or the heart muscle is too stiff and not able to fill properly. There are many different causes which require a thorough workup in order to tailor treatment appropriately. Heart failure patients demand special attention, frequent followup and patient education.
TAVR
Transaortic valve replacement. This is a specific procedure for patients who suffer from severe aortic stenosis. Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of one of your heart valves. When the valve is too tight it can decrease forward blood flow to the rest of the body specifically the brain which can lead to passing out or even death. Replacing the valve has proven to improve your length of life. Up until recently the only way to fix the valve was to undergo open heart surgery but TAVR has emerged as an option for certain patients.
Dr. Shamoon was one of the first doctors trained in TAVR and has taught many other physicians his very own skills in this procedure.
ARRHYTHMIAS
Heart palpitations is one of the most common symptoms or complaints but diagnosing the cause may require some external or internal monitoring systems. These range from Holter monitors to implantable loop recorders.