For Our Patients

Columbia Heart provides comprehensive services for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease.  These services are provided in our office or the inpatient setting as necessary. 

  

General Cardiology

Diagnosis & treatment of all cardiology related diseases, including hypertension, valvular disease, coronary or carotid artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, cardiac rhythm disturbances of all types, & lipid disorders. Electrocardiograms (EKG) along with Chest X-Ray are available in the offices.

Electrophysiology Consultation

The diagnosis & treatment of disturbances in the electrical activity of the heart, which is responsible for the sequence of cardiac activation & contraction each time the heart beats. Disturbances in electrical activity & conduction can cause cardiac rhythm abnormalities, sometimes indicating the need for cardioversion, pacemaker or defibrillator insertion, or ablation of that part of the anatomy that is malfunctioning. This area of consultation also includes the diagnosis & treatment of syncope, or "passing out," utilizing tilt table testing.

Nuclear Stress Testing

Nuclear testing involves the use of radioactive tracer pharmaceuticals to derive images that help assess blood supply to the heart muscle, viability of the heart muscle, general heart function, & any damage from heart attack. Patients are asked to wear comfortable clothes & shoes for this test, since it will require walking on the treadmill. If patients are unable to walk on the treadmill, medication can be given to raise the heart rate in a fashion similar to the treadmill.

Exercise Treadmill Testing

Regular treadmill exercise testing can be used alone to monitor for EKG changes or chest pain during testing, which would indicate the need for further study.

Vascular Studies

Vascular studies are noninvasive scans performed to look at targeted blood vessels in the body to identify blockage in these vessels. Frequently studied vessels are listed below:

Pacemaker/ ICD Follow-up

These services include all follow-up care of pacemakers & implantable defibrillators, including monthly telephone examination of device function as well as in-office examination of device function on a periodic basis.

Holter & Event Monitoring

Patients may wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours or an event monitor for up to 30 days. These monitors are utilized for patients with palpitations or syncope to look for underlying cardiac rhythm disturbances.

Echocardiograms

These tests are noninvasive & involve high frequency ultrasound waves that provide measurement of cardiac performance, assessment of valvular function, and evaluation of any abnormal blood flow in or around the heart.

Transesophageal Echocardiogram(TEE)

The transesophageal echocardiogram is a more invasive procedure performed in the hospital setting under sedation to identify certain specific intracardiac conditions that cannot be clearly visualized with the test above.

Coumadin Management Clinic

The Coumadin Clinic manages the care of patients who are taking Coumadin, a blood thinner used for many conditions involving abnormal blood clots. These patients visit the clinic independent of their physician visits, where finger-stick methodology is used to measure the patient's blood clotting values, & medication adjustments are made as necessary.

Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Prevention Clinic

In-depth study of lipid disorders, with treatment based on the findings.  Visits to the Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Prevention Clinic concentrate on the review of lab tests, dietary habits, and medications, with special care for patients living with diabetes.

In-house Laboratory Testing

The laboratory at Columbia Heart is able to perform the following categories of tests on site:

The hours of operation of the laboratory are 7:30 am- 4:30 pm.

Sleep Lab

Because many cardiac patients also suffer from sleep disorders, Columbia Heart offers an accredited full-service sleep lab for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. Our Sleep Team includes board-certified sleep physician and cardiologist, Dr. W. Joseph Hollins, sleep technicians and care coordinators.