Heart Failure
Understanding Heart Failure:
Heart failure is a chronic condition characterized by the heart’s inability to pump blood efficiently to meet the body’s demands. This can result from various underlying conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disorders, or previous heart attacks. Heart failure can lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling of the legs and abdomen, and decreased exercise tolerance.
Diagnosis: Diagnosing heart failure typically involves a combination of medical history review, physical examination, and diagnostic tests such as:
- Echocardiography (echo)
- Electrocardiography (ECG/EKG)
- Blood tests (e.g., BNP, NT-proBNP)
- Chest X-ray
- Cardiac MRI
- Cardiac catheterization
These tests help evaluate the structure and function of the heart, assess the severity of heart failure, identify underlying causes or contributing factors, and guide treatment decisions.
Advanced Treatment Options: At our facility, we offer a range of advanced treatment options for heart failure, tailored to each patient’s specific needs:
Medication Management: Medications such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, aldosterone antagonists, and sacubitril/valsartan may be prescribed to relieve symptoms, improve heart function, and reduce the risk of complications such as hospitalization or death.
Device Therapy: For select patients with heart failure, implantable devices such as pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices may be recommended. These devices help regulate heart rhythm, prevent sudden cardiac death, and improve cardiac function by coordinating the timing of contractions in the heart’s chambers.
Mechanical Circulatory Support: In cases of severe or end-stage heart failure refractory to medical therapy, mechanical circulatory support devices such as ventricular assist devices (VADs) or total artificial hearts (TAHs) may be considered. These devices help pump blood throughout the body, providing temporary or permanent support until heart transplantation can be performed.
Heart Transplantation: Heart transplantation is considered the gold standard treatment for end-stage heart failure when other therapies have failed. Our multidisciplinary team of cardiac surgeons, transplant coordinators, and transplant specialists provides comprehensive evaluation, preoperative optimization, and postoperative care for eligible candidates undergoing heart transplantation.
