Services

Home Sleep Study

Obstructive sleep apnea is a frequent occurrence and is associated with many heart conditions. Its diagnosis and therapy has the potential of also alleviating and preventing many symptoms from heart disease and uncontrolled blood pressure. A home sleep study is conducted at home by the patient. It is a small device which the patient attaches prior to going to sleep and is taken off after waking up. It measures many parameters such as snoring, breathing pattern, how long breathing stops at night and Oxygen saturation during sleep.

Inpatient Consultative Cardiology

Patients are evaluated after being admitted to a hospital for an emergent problem pointing to heart disease. The physicians of this group will make every effort to attend to you emergently in the unfortunate event that you should be admitted to a hospital.

Invasive Angiography

Catheter angiography is a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure to evaluate and treat conditions within the blood vessels. It is performed by inserting a catheter into a targeted artery or vein and delivering contrast dye to provide clear imaging results with the use of a fluoroscope. Angiogram pictures can be viewed as X-ray films or stored as digital images in a computer.

Reasons for a Catheter Angiography

Catheter angiography may be used to examine blood flow in large vessels such as the aorta, vena cava, carotid or femoral arteries or to examine other blood vessels in the head, limbs or torso. This procedure provides the most accurate visualization of the targeted blood vessels to detect circulatory problems in their earliest stages or to investigate precise locations of abnormalities prior to surgery.
A catheter angiogram may be performed to:

The Catheter Angiography Procedure

During the catheter angiogram procedure, an IV line is inserted into the arm, into which a small dose of sedative may be administered to relieve anxiety and any pain associated with this procedure. The catheter is then inserted under local anesthesia into the groin or arm, depending on the location of the area to be examined. The doctor guides the catheter to the targeted area under imaging guidance and then injects a contrast dye into the area before a set of X-rays is taken. The procedure takes between one and three hours. The catheter is then gently removed. No stitches are needed to close the incision.

Risks of a Catheter Angiography

While this procedure is considered safe for most patients, there are certain risks involved in any surgical procedure. These risks, which usually are evident within two hours of the procedure, may include:

If a serious complication occurs during the angiogram, it is possible that the test may have to be interrupted, occasionally requiring urgent treatment, possible including emergency surgery. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult with their doctor before undergoing this diagnostic test.