Our Services
Florida Cardiology Associates specializes in prevention, diagnostic testing, coronary, peripheral, structural intervention, pacemaker and defibrillators. We accept most insurances and will bill your insurance company for services like most other providers.
Our Cardiac Services
Cardiology Consult
Clinical cardiology is a general consultative service that deals with all disorders of the heart including treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, arrhythmias of the heart, hemodynamic monitoring, preventive cardiac care, and critical care management of our patients.
A medical provider will ask you general health questions and some more specific questions related to the reason for your visit. They will perform a physical examination, and if necessary, they may arrange for further testing such as an EKG or stress test. The cardiologist might prescribe medication or provide your primary care provider with recommendations.
Stress Testing (Treadmill & Nuclear)
A stress test is noninvasive, generally safe and painless. It may be administered in a number of different settings, including clinics, hospitals or physician’s offices. Exercise stress tests may be performed with echocardiography or nuclear imaging techniques. Another type of stress test uses drugs instead of physical activity to produce the effects of exercise during the examination.
A physician may recommend an exercise stress test for a number of reasons:
- To diagnose conditions such as coronary artery disease (a chronic disease in which there is a “hardening” or atherosclerosis of the arteries) in patients with chest pain.
- To diagnose a heart-related cause of symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or lightheadedness.
- To determine a safe level of exercise among heart patients who wish to increase their level of physical activity.
- To screen for coronary artery disease in some patients who do not have symptoms.
- To gauge exercise capacity in heart failure patients who are being considered for a heart transplant.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a balloon angioplasty (a procedure in which plaque in the arteries is pushed back against the artery walls to make more room for blood flow), or other procedures.
- To predict future risk of dangerous heart-related conditions, such as heart attack.
Nuclear Stress Test
A nuclear stress test uses a special radioactive tracer that is injected either during or after the stress test in order to determine which parts of the heart are healthy and receives adequate blood supply and which are not. A nuclear stress test is more accurate than the standard stress EKG test and can provide physicians with additional information.
EKG
An electrocardiogram records the electrical signals in the heart. It’s a common and painless test used to quickly detect heart problems and monitor the heart’s health. During the exam, a technician will attach several electrodes with adhesive pads to the skin of your chest, arms, and legs. You will lie flat while a computer creates a picture, on graph paper, of the electrical impulses that move through your heart.
Echocardiogram
The echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to get a picture of the four heart chambers and the four heart valves. The sound waves bounce back from the heart chambers and valves, producing images and sounds that can be used by the physician to detect damage and disease.
Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure in which a long, thin tube called a catheter is guided into the heart, usually through an artery through the leg or arm. Once inside the heart arteries , contrast is injected to allow visualization of heart blockages. It can be used to diagnose a problem (diagnostic uses) or to treat a problem (therapeutic uses).
Balloon angioplasty is one of three standard treatments for coronary artery disease (CAD) – a disease in which the blood flow to the heart is restricted due to hardened arteries (atherosclerosis) that are clogged with plaque deposits. The other standard treatments for CAD are medication and bypass surgery.
The goal of balloon angioplasty is to push the fatty plaque back against the artery wall to make more room for blood to flow through the artery. This improved blood flow results in the improvement of cardiac symptoms and function.
Peripheral Vascular Imaging
Peripheral vascular imaging is ultrasound imaging of the carotid arteries to help screen for possible causes of strokes. It also involves evaluation of the distal extremities to look for blood clots in the extremities that may be associated with pain or swelling involving the arteries or veins.
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) refers to a family of minimally invasive procedures used to open clogged coronary arteries (those that deliver blood to the heart). By restoring blood flow, the treatment can improve symptoms of blocked arteries, such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
Defibrillator/Pacemaker
Having an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implanted may be done on an outpatient basis or as part of your stay in a hospital. Procedures may vary depending on your condition and your doctor’s practices. An ICD is a small electronic device connected to the heart. It is used to continuously monitor and help regulate potentially fast and life-threatening electrical problems with the heart.
Heart Monitoring
Event monitoring is the use of an EKG monitor that the patient can control to record intermittent arrhythmias usually allowing the recording of immediately prior to the triggered event and a couple minutes after. They are typically worn for 30 days or until the arrhythmia has occured..