Stress Echocardiogram What is a stress echocardiogram? A stress echo examines your heart in action. It combines an ultrasound of the heart with a stress test. A stress test, often called a treadmill test, measures how your heart works when experiencing the added workload or “stress” of exercise. How should I prepare for a stress echo? You should not eat or drink anything but water for 3 - 4 hours prior to the test. Patients on beta-blockers (a treatment for hypertension and coronary artery disease) are asked to not take their medication the day of the procedure. Beta-blockers often diminish

Stress Test What is a stress test? A stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test or exercise test, helps your doctor find out how well your heart handles its workload. As your body works harder during the test, it requires more fuel and your heart has to pump more blood. The test can show if there’s a lack of blood supply through the arteries that go to the heart. Taking a stress test also helps your doctor know the kind and level of physical activity that’s right for you. Why do people need stress tests? Doctors use exercise stress tests to find out: If you have an irregular heartbeat. If

Heart Failure Program Munson Medical Center launched a Heart Failure Program in 2013 to help the growing number of people who have heart failure. The clinic’s multidisciplinary approach is very successful in treating heart failure. The heart failure team includes a board-certified heart failure cardiologist, a specially trained nurse practitioner, a nurse specialist, and a pharmacist specializing in the diagnosis and management of heart failure. Heart failure can’t be cured, but it can be treated. Treatment options include: Cardiac rehabilitation Implanted devices Lifestyle changes

Interventional Cardiology Interventional cardiologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of several types of heart disease using catheter-based treatment. A number of heart procedures can be performed using catheterization. This typically involves inserting a sheath into the femoral artery, radial artery, or any other large peripheral artery or vein, and then inserting a catheter into the heart under X-ray visualization. Primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) is now the gold standard of care for an acute heart attack. This procedure allows our interventional cardiologists to reopen a

Ablation What is ablation? No one has yet found the perfect cure for irregular heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation. However, a non-surgical, catheter-based technique called ablation performed at Munson Medical Center has about an 80 percent long-term success rate in eliminating the condition. How is an ablation performed? This procedure takes place in a special hospital room called an Electrophysiology Lab. It takes 2 to 4 hours. A specially-trained cardiologist guides a catheter with an electrode at its tip to the area of heart muscle where the damaged site is located. A mild, painless

Brachytherapy What is brachytherapy? Brachytherapy is a very effective therapy that delivers targeted, high doses of radiation inside a blocked coronary artery where a stent is present. Radiation therapy that targets recurring blockage has two purposes: to treat the blockage itself by killing the cells that have re-blocked the stent, and to prevent further blockage by inhibiting tissue growth. Why does Munson Medical Center offer brachytherapy? Present stent technology is very effective and most patients can expect good long-term results with drug-eluting stents. However, 5 - 10 percent of

Cardiac Catheterization What is cardiac catheterization? Cardiac catheterization is used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions. During a catheterization, angiograms (X-ray videos), pressure recordings, and other measurements help your cardiologist check for: coronary artery disease (disease in the heart's arteries) valvular heart disease (disease in the heart’s valves) congenital heart disease (heart disease you were born with) other conditions This is one of the most helpful procedures for giving your physician a clear picture of your heart’s overall health. How is it performed? A

CardioMEMS What is CardioMEMS? The CardioMEMS Heart Failure System is the first FDA-approved monitoring device proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions among heart failure patients. Munson Medical Center was one of the first hospitals in the nation to begin offering this innovative, groundbreaking technology in 2015. How does CardioMEMS help? Pulmonary artery pressure starts to increase in heart failure patients one to three weeks before the person notices any changes in symptoms or weight. About 90 percent of patients admitted to the hospital for heart failure have pulmonary

Electrophysiology Studies What are Electrophysiology Studies? These tests look at your heart's electrical function and locate places inside your heart that may be causing abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). The studies are performed in a special lab by an electrophysiologist (a cardiologist who specializes in studying and treating the electrical system of the heart), who works with a team of nurses and technologists. What happens during an electrophysiology study? Electrical signals make the muscles in your heart contract. Those contractions pump blood through your body. Serious problems can

Enhanced External Counterpulsation Therapy What is EECP? EECP therapy is an outpatient treatment for angina and heart failure. During this noninvasive procedure, inflatable bags are wrapped around the legs (like a blood pressure cuff around the arm) and inflated and deflated in rhythm with your heartbeat. This treatment may be able to decrease the symptoms of angina and improve oxygen flow. How is it done? Treatments are usually for one hour each day, five days a week, up to seven weeks, for a total of 35 hours. During the treatment, you will lie on a comfortable table with large blood