Heart Disease Treatment

When choosing a cardiac rehabilitation facility, first, check to see that the program is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). There are about 2,600 cardiac rehab centers nationwide, and... Full Answer

If you are having only a small or trivial amount of leakage of your mitral valve, the chance you will ever need surgery is vanishingly small. In fact, even normal mitral valves leak a little bit, and today's echocardiography equipment is so... Full Answer

The reason to use estrogen is for some type of symptom relief, but it is not your only option. Pill forms of estrogens seem to increase clotting factors and increase various cardiac risks, so estrogen use is not suggested for heart disease... Full Answer

Usually 2 - 3 soft plastic chest tubes are placed around the heart and lungs after open heart surgery to drain any blood or fluids that would collect after the operation. They also drain any air leak that could come from either lung after the surgery.... Full Answer

After open-heart surgery, you’ll be in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where the hospital staff takes care of you 24 hours a day. During and after your surgery, you’ll be watched closely by doctors and nurses and monitored by several devices.... Full Answer

You will be fitted with an event recorder at your cardiologist’s office and given instructions on how and when to transmit data from the recorder. When you are experiencing cardiac symptoms, you press a button on the device to begin... Full Answer

Wearing an event monitor is safe. However, if you have an allergy to any adhesives, be sure to let the cardiologist and nurse know, as the electrodes are attached to the skin with adhesive. Full Answer

The following questions can help you talk to your physician about wearing an event monitor. Print out or write down these questions and take them with you to your appointment. Taking notes can help you remember your physician’s response... Full Answer

A randomized controlled trial comparing regular exercise with angioplasty in patients with heart disease found that people who chose exercise did much better than those undergoing angioplasty after one year. They had a higher event-free survival rate,... Full Answer

Right aortic arch syndrome refers to an anatomic finding with which some infants are born. "Treatment" is surgical in infancy or childhood if the structural issue causes vascular compression or other complications. Sometimes when the heart and aorta form... Full Answer