Services

Greensboro Cardiology Associates, PA strives to offer the latest advances in diagnostic and disease treatment for the cardiac patient. Among those are CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION usually scheduled as an outpatient procedure at Moses Cone Hospital. This diagnostic procedure will provide precise detail of the stage of the heart disease and assist us in determining the most appropriate treatment for each patient.

At times, the appropriate treatment plan will be discharging the patient home with a prescription medication and diet regimen if the heart disease is found to be in the early stages. When the heart disease is more advanced an interventional treatment plan may include an ANGIOPLASTY to help improve the blood flow and can usually be done at the time of the Catheterization. A partially or fully blocked artery may also require a CORONARY STENT, a thin metal coil placed inside the newly unblocked artery to help prevent it from collapsing.

PACEMAKERS are also a popular treatment plan for patients who experience chronic slow or irregular heart rhythms. As an outpatient this electrical device is implanted under the skin above the heart to sense when the heart beat is slow or irregular and will automatically electrically stimulate the heart beat to normal rhythm.

ECHOCARDIOGRAMS commonly known as an ultrasound of the heart can be performed in the office to capture a two dimensional view of the heart and its components. EXERCISE TREADMILL TESTS are also performed in the office to monitor the heart during a specific period of exertion while walking briskly on the treadmill. The ECHOCARDIOGRAM & the EXERCISE TREADMILL TEST can be combined to capture an image of the heart at peak exertion and during the relaxation period following the exercise. If you are unable to walk safely on a treadmill, we can offer a pharmaceutical version of this test called an ADENOSINE CARDIOLITE where an injection is given to simulate the exercise exertion to the heart followed by the resting period while the patient lies flat on a table with a camera taking pictures during each phase. A STRESS CARDIOLITE is also available for those patients who will perform low level treadmill exercise with an injection given to enhance the quality of the pictures for the physician's review.

In April 2004, the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) has recognized Greensboro Cardiology Associates, P.A. as an Accredited Echocardiography Laboratory in the area of Adult Transthoracic Echocardiography Testing. The ICAEL was established with support of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography (SOPE) to provide a peer review mechanism to encourage and recognize the provision of quality echocardiographic diagnostic evaluations by a process of voluntary accreditation. A non-profit organization, the ICAEL is dedicated to ensuring high quality patient care and to promoting health care.

The EKG's and SIGNAL AVERAGED EKG'S provide a more detailed look at heart rhythms and require additional time to perform. If this test provides inconclusive data, your physician may send you home with a HEART MONITOR. A 30 DAY EVENT MONITOR can provide ongoing diagnostic measurements of the heart rhythms while performing your daily tasks and allows the patient to signal when they actually feel a difference in the heart beat or rhythm, which is helpful to capture the details of the event and determine the causes. A HOLTER MONITOR is usually worn for 24 hours to capture a full day of cardiac output for the physician's evaluation. Certain symptoms warranting the use of these monitors can be near or actual syncope (fainting), palpitations, dizziness, and intermittent chest tightness. 24 HOUR BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORS are now available to take home for continuous screening of your blood pressure, with a personalized schedule to capture true data throughout your normal day's activities.

PATIENT EDUCATION is strongly enforced with respect to the disease management issues such as diet and exercise which assist greatly in the other treatments your Cardiologist has put in place for your. In the hospital and in the office we provide the service of Nurse Practitioners who are trained and specialize in the Cardiac Care and Patient's Educational needs post operatively, or during your initial office consult. They are available to discuss any questions or problems that may arise during and after the care you receive from each Cardiologist. Please feel free to take advantage of their valuable service and knowledge.