Advanced Heart Care Close to Home
Our cardiovascular care center in Palm Beach Gardens, FL is the home of experienced doctors and staff who genuinely care for people’s hearts. We have cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists and interventional cardiologists managing various cardiovascular problems. Our nurses and staff are equally committed to providing the heart care and support that our patients need.
What Is Congestive Heart Failure?
Contrary to the name, heart failure does not mean that the heart is no longer functioning. Heart failure means the heart is not pumping as efficiently as it should. Since the heart cannot supply the cells with enough oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood, the person experiences shortness of breath and fatigue. Regular physical activities like walking or climbing stairs become very difficult.
There are other types of heart failure, but congestive heart failure is the one that requires immediate medical attention. As blood flow exiting the heart slows, blood entering the heart through the veins backs up, congesting the body’s tissues. Heart failure also affects the kidney’s ability to dispose of water and sodium. It often results in edema or swelling, which usually affects the ankles and legs but can affect other body parts, too. Pulmonary edema happens when fluid builds up in the lungs and affects breathing, resulting in shortness of breath.
Can Your Heart Get Better After Heart Failure?
Heart failure is a long-term condition with no cure for most people, but treatment may keep the symptoms under control. At Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, you are not alone in managing this condition. Your willingness and the support of your loved ones and healthcare team can increase your treatment success. A heart failure treatment plan may include:
- Devices
- Lifestyle changes
- Medications
- Ongoing care
- Surgical procedures
What Are Common Heart Conditions?
Our comprehensive cardiovascular care includes high-tech imaging procedures, elaborate cardiac testing and screenings and advanced operating rooms to treat the following common cardiac conditions:
- Acute coronary syndrome – refers to a situation where the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked, resulting in unstable angina, heart attack or other medical emergencies
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib) – the heart beats faster than normal
- Arrhythmia – irregular heartbeat
- Angina – chest pain that happens with decreased blood flow to the heart
- Atherosclerosis – the formation of plaque along the wall of blood vessels restricts blood flow
- Cardiac arrest – the heart suddenly stops pumping
- Cardiomyopathy – a heart disease that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the entire body efficiently
- Congenital heart defects – any cardiac problem that is present from birth
- Coronary artery disease – affects the blood vessels supplying the heart
- Heart attack – sudden blockage of the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart
- Heart block – a type of arrhythmia characterized by the interruption of the electrical signal from the heart’s atria to the ventricles
- Heart failure – the heart is not contracting or relaxing normally
- Heart valve disease – happens when one or more cardiac valves do not function well
- Infective endocarditis – a bacterial infection in the heart’s inner lining
- Inherited rhythm disorders (IRDs) – inherited arrhythmia that may cause heart-related complications to an individual
- Long QT syndrome (LQTS) – an inherited heart problem affecting the heartbeat
- Pericarditis – the inflammation of the pericardium, the heart’s sac-like covering
- Peripheral artery disease – reduced blood flow to the limbs caused by the narrowing of arteries
- Peripheral vascular disease – reduced blood circulation to a body part other than the heart or brain
- Structural heart disease – any condition that affects the cardiac chambers or valves
- Valve disorders – happen when one or more heart valves do not close or open properly
Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis
Our cardiologists will review our patient’s medical history, conduct physical examinations and may request several tests to diagnose and assess heart condition properly. Here are some of the heart tests we perform:
- 4-hour Holter monitors – a heart rate monitor aims to check heart activities for more extended periods
- 30-day event recorders – a device you can tap to record your heart activity whenever you experience symptoms
- Echocardiogram (EEG) – a device you can tap to record your heart activity whenever you experience symptoms
- Dobutamine stress test with echocardiography imaging or nuclear imaging – uses dobutamine medication to artificially increase heartbeat to be assessed by echocardiography or nuclear imaging
- Lexiscan stress test – obstruction in the coronary arteries is identified by using Lexiscan to dilate these arteries
- Arterial vascular study lower extremity – aims to check blood flow in a patient’s lower extremity arteries
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) – aims to record the heart’s electrical activity
- Exercise stress test – aims to monitor heart activity while a patient walks or runs on a treadmill with heart-monitoring equipment attached to them
- Trans-esophageal echocardiogram (TEE) – uses sound waves to get detailed photos of the heart and arteries
Our Cardiovascular Procedures
Depending on the findings from your diagnostic assessments, your cardiologist may recommend any of the following procedures:
- Angioplasty
- Atherectomy
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
- Artificial heart valve surgery
- Bypass surgery
- Cardiac catheterization
- Coronary screening
- Electrophysiology lab
- Minimally invasive heart surgery
- MitraClip
- Stent procedure
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR)
- Transcatheter therapies
- Vascular surgery
Your Heart Is In Good Hands
When it comes to your heart, you need someone you can trust. Our Heart and Vascular Institute has delivered advanced cardiac care to our community for nearly four decades. We were the first hospital in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast to perform open-heart surgery, and we’ve remained one of the area’s leading heart hospitals ever since. So far, we have performed:
- 100,000+ Cardiac Catheterizations
- 19,000+ Open-Heart Surgeries (1983-present)
- 300+ MitraClip Procedures (2014-present)
- 50+ Convergent Procedures (2014-present)
- 750+ TAVR Procedures (2013-present)
- 250+ Watchman Procedures (2017-present)
