Cardiac Treatments and Procedures

Angioplasty is a procedure that opens narrow or blocked blood vessels by placing stents in the affected artery to prevent it from closing again. Physicians use angiography to determine where the stent(s) should be placed.

Aquaphersis procedure removes excess salt and water from patients experiencing conditions such as congestive heart failure or fluid overload. A machine draws blood from the patient, separates it from the excess salt and water, and then returns the “clean” blood into the patients body.

Cardiac surgeons at Wise Health System provide patients with advanced treatments and procedures in a manner that is as comfortable as possible for them and their families.

Cardioversion is a procedure that can restore a fast or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) to a normal rhythm.

The procedure is accomplished through an outpatient electrical procedure by giving the patient low-energy shocks to get the heart into a normal rhythm. This procedure is different from defibrillation. Defibrillation gives high-energy shocks, in contrast to cardioversion low energy shocks, to restore the heart to a normal rhythm in severe, life threatening situations. The other option is a medicinal cardioversion procedure.

The carotid artery is the artery that includes arteries of the head and neck that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain. A carotid angiogram allows physicians to evaluate the possibility of blockage, any narrow arteries, plaque build up, the extent of blockage or the blood flow to a tumor. This procedure involves the insertion of a catheter that will release a dye in the neck area and taking a series of x-ray pictures to assess any blockage, narrow veins, abnormal vessels or tumors.

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy replaces, as much of the lost kidney function as possible. This adaptable therapy provides a slow fluid removal that even unstable patients can more easily tolerate.

An intuitive interface that displays a patient’s physiologic information, using color-based indicators to communicate a patient’s status in a clear and simple way. This technologically advanced platform allows physicians to adapt to different clinical situations and provide the best possible care for patients.

Femoral /popliteal bypass takes vein grafts, which may be taken from the legs, and places an end above and below the blockage, rerouting blood flow through the new graft. In some cases, a prosthetic vein graft can be used in place of a vein graft.

Intra-aortic Balloon Pump, also called IABP, is a catheter-based procedure used primarily for patients with severe heart disease while they wait for a heart transplant.

LifeVest is a wearable defibrillator worn by patients at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), providing protection during their changing condition and while permanent SCA risk has not been established.

LifeVest is used by patients for a wide range of conditions or situations, including following a heart attack, before or after bypass surgery or stent placement, as well as for those with cardiomyopathy or congestive heart failure that places them at particular risk.

Therapeutic Hypothermia may be used after resuscitation from cardiac arrest to improve the chances of patient survival and recovery. During this procedure, patients are cooled to 33 degrees Celsius post-resuscitation from a cardiac arrest. This process slows the brain’s metabolism and protects it against damage from the lack of blood flow and oxygen.

Thoracentesis is a procedure used to remove excess fluid in the pleural space (the space between the lungs and chest wall) and to help determine the cause of pleural effusion. Pleural effusion is the build up of extra fluid that pushes against the lung, causing collapse.

Thoracotomy is a surgical procedure that involves opening the chest wall to access the lungs, throat, aorta, heart and/or diaphragm.

Transvenous cardiac pacing, also called endocardial pacing, is a potentially life-saving intervention used primarily to correct profound bradycardia. It can be used to treat symptomatic bradycardias that do not respond to transcutaneous pacing or to drug therapy. Transvenous pacing is achieved by threading a pacing electrode through a vein into the right atrium, right ventricle, or both.