Heart Care

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Sophisticated cardiac care in Dallas

The Sam & Anne Kesner Heart Center at Methodist Dallas offers some of the most advanced cardiac care and cardiology services available in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

More than 20,000 square feet of space located in Pavilion II of the Methodist Dallas Medical Center campus is dedicated solely to providing patients with heart care. Having this single, centralized heart care center for all cardiac diagnostic tests, treatments and cardiac rehab can mean less travel for our patients and their family members--just one of the ways we're committed to taking care of our community.

Diagnostic tests & imaging

Echocardiograms, often called cardiac echos, use ultrasound waves to create images of the heart. These images can provide information about the heart's structure and function and uncover many types of problems. An echo can be especially helpful in assessing heart valve diseases.

Stress echocardiograms—show the strength of the heart muscle by taking ultrasound images of the heart during rest and then immediately after the patient walks or jogs on a treadmill
Dobutamine stress echocardiograms—show the strength of the heart muscle using a combination of ultrasound imaging and a chemical stress test. Medicine is injected into a vein to simulate the effect of exercise on the heart, and ultrasound images are taken.
Transesophageal echocardiograms—use a special probe that is threaded down the throat and into the esophagus. This enables the technician and cardiologist to view cardiac structures next to the heart itself, allowing much more precise visualization of cardiac valve function and other structures of the heart.

Electrophysiology tests evaluate the electrical activity of the heart and determine the area(s) of origination of electrical abnormalities (arrhythmias) within the heart.

Tilt-table testing—helps find the root of fainting spells, which are often caused by heart arrhythmias. During a tilt-table test, blood pressure and heart rhythm are monitored continuously while a special bed is tilted at different angles.
Electrophysiology studies and cardiac mapping—EP studies determine the origination of electrical arrhythmias in the heart. Cardiac mapping is a much more sensitive and precise method using various catheters to stimulate and track electrical signals in the heart, helping to pinpoint the exact areas of abnormal heart tissue.

Methodist Dallas Medical Center can also perform 3-D cardiac mapping and navigation — the most sensitive tests available to determine areas of heart rhythm abnormality

Electrocardiograph (ECG) — measures the heart’s electrical activity using electrodes placed on the chest

Holter monitoring — provides a continuous, 24-hour record of the heart’s rhythm during normal daily activities

Stress ECG — tracks heart activity while the patient walks or jogs on a treadmill, or heart activity may be stimulated with medication for patients who may have difficulty on the treadmill. Stress tests may detect heart problems that aren’t apparent when the heart is at rest.

Nuclear medicine scan stress test (also called myocardial perfusion scans)—use radioactive material injected into a vein, along with a special camera placed on the chest, to identify healthy and unhealthy heart muscle. The scan is done while the patient is resting and again after the patient walks or jogs on a treadmill or uses medicine to speed up the heart.

Diagnostic cardiac catheterization (cardiac cath)—helps determine the existence and/or severity of coronary artery disease. Small, flexible, sterile catheters are inserted into various blood vessels and structures of the heart, and with the help of contrast agents, doctors can identify any blockages (lesions) within the coronary arteries.

Digital cardiovascular imaging - this sophisticated imaging technique captures, processes, and stores images of blood vessels in digital format, and requires only half the radiation of traditional imaging. Digital cardiovascular imaging may be recommended for people who have coronary artery disease.

Angiogram

Doppler ultrasound

Procedures & Treatments

Specialized cardiac labs
- Cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology - these procedures involve small, flexible catheters, wires, balloons, and stents that are threaded into coronary blood vessels by a cardiologist to diagnose and treat heart problems.
- Electrophysiology (EP) - diagnosing and treating electrical abnormalities and arrhythmias of the heart.
Impella Pump Implants – we are proud to offer our patients the world’s smallest heart pump.
Implantable converter defibrillators and pacemakers
Robotic-assisted ® cardiothoracic surgeries using the da Vinci® Surgical System
Watchman – a permanent heart implant that can help prevent blood clots and, by extension, strokes.
Coronary angioplasty or PTCA (balloon angioplasty)—opens narrowed sections of arteries using a balloon on the tip of a long, thin catheter. The catheter is inserted into the affected coronary vessel and threaded to the narrowed section. The balloon is then inflated to flatten the buildup on the inside of the artery, widening the passageway for blood.
Coronary stent implantation—once the angioplasty balloon has reopened the vessel, tiny, flexible stainless steel stents are expanded into the artery to keep it open. Some stents may be coated with medicines that prevent restenosis (abrupt closure of the artery).
Biventricular device implants (pacemakers and defibrillators)—devices that pace both ventricles (lower heart chambers), increasing the amount of blood pumped to the heart; they can dramatically improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
Cardiac ablations (electrocautery)—electrophysiology procedures to correct abnormal heartbeats. A special catheter is threaded into the heart, and small areas of tissue that are interfering with the heart’s electrical signals are burned away, often permanently curing the abnormal heart rhythm
Robotic-assisted ® cardiothoracic surgeries using the da Vinci® Surgical System
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

Cardiac rehabilitation

Folsom Fitness and Rehabilitation Center at Methodist Dallas Medical Center offers a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program designed to help patients through recovery while helping them reduce the risk of future heart problems. The program combines progressive, supervised aerobic exercise, strength training and lifestyle education.

Potential benefits of cardiac rehabilitation include:

Improvement of exercise tolerance
Increased knowledge of heart disease
Improved adherence to positive/heart healthy lifestyle changes
Better compliance with medical regime
Reduction of symptoms
Reduction in cardiovascular risk factors
Improvement in psychosocial well-being

The cardiac rehabilitation program at the Folsom Fitness and Rehabilitation Center at Methodist Dallas has been certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

Methodist Dallas Cardiovascular Consultants, our onsite clinic, offers seamless service between physicians, hospital services and procedures, and records.
221 W. Colorado Blvd.
Pavilion II, Suite 831
Dallas, TX 75208
214-933-7430