Cardiology

At Wayne Health, we provide the most advanced treatment for heart disease and its risk factors. Our doctors are known worldwide for their involvement in innovative cardiovascular research and leading-edge treatment options. Our physicians frequently share their expertise regarding the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease through published research papers and articles.

Patient care is our top priority. Wayne Health doctors are dedicated to providing treatment that is comprehensive, efficient and customized to meet the unique needs of each patient.

We understand that time is of the essence when it comes to caring for heart conditions. Shortly after your visit with a Wayne Health cardiovascular specialist, our physicians will communicate their findings with your primary doctor quickly and comprehensively. That means you can begin your treatment plan sooner and start getting healthier.

Wayne Health offers immediate availability for patients seeking cardiovascular treatment (within 24 hours). To make an appointment to discuss your cardiovascular care, contact us at 877-Wayne-HC.

Wayne Health cardiovascular experts treat and manage a wide range of heart conditions including:

• Heart attacks and heart failure
• Prior history of heart bypass surgeries (CABG)
• Coronary stents
• Aortic disease
• Congenital heart disease
• Valve regurgitation
• Arrhythmias
• Infections
• Systemic conditions leading to heart disease

Wayne Health team members are also trained to manage risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking and family history, all of which contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. In addition, Wayne Health doctors understand how to properly treat and protect the hearts of our patients with cancer or diabetes.

We provide the following cardiology services:

• Arrhythmia: Also called dysrhythmia, this condition is a result of an irregular heartbeat and/or heart rate and can cause the heart to pump less effectively. It can occur with a normal or slower heart rate, as well as with a rapid heart rate. This condition affects more than 850,000 people who are hospitalized each year for arrhythmia. Symptoms can resemble other conditions. Consult a Wayne Health cardiologist for diagnosis.
• Echocardiogram: This heart test graphically outlines the movement of the heart via high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) and provides pictures of the heart’s valves and chambers. A sonographer uses the results to evaluate the pumping action of the heart. There are several heart diseases that may be detected by echocardiography, including atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease), aneurysm, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease (ventricular septal defect/VSD, transposition of the great vessels, tricuspid atresia), heart failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, pericarditis and valvular heart disease.
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease: This condition is found in more adults than children due to advances in diagnostic procedures and treatment interventions. Our cardiologists are equipped to provide information about specific congenital heart conditions, expectations for long-term outcomes and potential complications and risks.

Cardiac arrhythmia:

A cardiac arrhythmia is a change in the normal rhythm of the heart. Your heart may beat too fast or too slow, or beat with an irregular or skipping rhythm. A change in the heart’s rhythm may feel like a really strong heartbeat or a fluttering in your chest. A severe heart rhythm problem can keep the body from getting the blood it needs. This can result in shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and fainting.

You may take medicine to treat your condition. Your doctor may recommend a pacemaker or recommend catheter ablation to destroy small parts of the heart that are causing a rhythm problem. Another possible treatment is an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). An ICD is a device that gives the heart a shock to return the heart to a normal rhythm.

Different heart conditions present different types of symptoms. In general, symptoms may include:

·     Chest discomfort (pain, tightness, etc.)

·     Shortness of breath

·     Dry or persistent cough

·     Swelling in the legs

·     Bloating

·     Fatigue

·     Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting

·     Irregular heartbeat or changes in rhythm (pounding, fluttering, racing, slowing)

·     Pain in the back or abdomen

·     Pale grey or blue skin color

Seek emergency medical attention if you have chest pain, shortness of breath or fainting.

What are common symptoms of heart rhythm problems?

Heart rhythm problems, called arrhythmias, can cause a few types of symptoms, including:

Palpitations

Having palpitations means that you are unusually aware of your heartbeat. Some people describe them as:

• A “fluttering” in their chest
• A “skipped beat”
• A “pounding sensation”
• A feeling that the heart is “jumping out of my chest”

Lightheadedness

If you have an arrhythmia that causes your heart to beat too fast or too slow, you may feel lightheaded or dizzy.

Fainting (syncope)

Syncope (say “SING-kuh-pee”) is a sudden loss of consciousness that doesn’t last long. It may be the first sign that you have an arrhythmia.

Shortness of breath

Feeling short of breath (dyspnea) often happens during arrhythmias. This symptom can be hard for people to describe. It may be referred to as:

• Feeling short of breath
• Feeling tightness in the chest
• Being winded
• Feeling tired from walking

We utilize the latest technology available to provide the best care for Wayne Health patients. Our leading-edge technologies include 3D ultrasound, myocardial contrast ultrasound imaging and speckle tracking. These allow us to get a detailed picture of the heart, which better enables us to successfully diagnose and treat each patient.

How is coronary artery disease diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms, personal health history and family medical history.

During the physical exam, your doctor will check many things, including your blood pressure and listening to your heart and lungs.

If your doctor thinks you may have coronary artery disease, you may need some tests to make sure. These first tests may include blood tests, an electrocardiogram and a stress test.

You might have imaging tests to look at your heart and coronary arteries. These tests may include an echocardiogram, a cardiac perfusion test and a coronary angiogram

The type of treatment patients receive depends on the cause and symptoms of their heart condition.

Wayne Health cardiovascular experts are actively engaged in each patient’s care to provide the most individualized, comprehensive treatment possible.

Providers at the Wayne Health Cardiac Device Clinic partner with patients in need of cardiac device care. The clinic offers comprehensive evaluation and device management services for patients with implanted cardiac devices, such as pacemakers, internal cardiac defibrillators, biventricular pacemakers/ ICDs or Holter monitors, or external devices, such as implantable loop recorders.

Our team of board-certified cardiologists, together with electrophysiologists, registered nurses and cardiac technicians, provides a collaborative approach to proper device management, ensuring optimal follow-up for patients. We work closely with referring physicians to customize the treatment and settings of each individual patient’s cardiac device.

The frequency of a patient’s evaluation is based on the cardiologist’s recommendation. A typical patient will have both clinical visits and remote monitoring.

Wayne Health physicians and researchers are also teaching and research faculty at Wayne State University School of Medicine who conduct basic, translational and clinical research. This makes the latest treatments and clinical trials available to you sooner than other providers without a medical school affiliation.

Specific clinical and/or research areas of focus include the following:

• Congestive heart failure
• Echocardiography/Diagnostic techniques
• Diastology
• Preventive cardiology
• Coronary Artery Disease and risk factors
• 3D and strain echocardiography
• Echocardiography/left ventricular remodeling
• Women’s cardiovascular health
• Management of acute ischemic syndromes
• Interventional cardiology/restenosis
• Interventional cardiology/peripheral angioplasty
• Clinical cardiology/adult congenital heart disease
• Electrophysiology/atrial and ventricular rhythm management
• CT angiography
• Electrophysiology/devices
• Nuclear cardiology/PET imaging
• Clinical cardiology
• Endocarditis

For more information, please visit the links below at the WSU School of Medicine.