Services

State-of-the-Art Care

West Georgia Cardiology continues to utilize developments in cardiac research to help improve the quality of life for patients suffering from heart disease. We specialize in cutting-edge medicine and compassionate, personalized care for all our patients. Putting the focus on cardiovascular diagnosis and disease prevention, West Georgia Cardiology provides a number of diagnostic cardiac studies, including echocardiograms, EKGs, and much more, to help diagnose and treat patients.

Some of the Procedures and Services we provide are described below in more detail.

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Angioplasty and Cardiac Stenting
Coronary angioplasty, also referred to as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is a medical procedure used to open clogged heart arteries. Coronary angioplasty can improve the symptoms associated with blocked arteries, such as chest pain and shortness of breath, or can be used during a heart attack to quickly open a blocked artery and minimize heart damage. Angioplasty involves temporarily inserting and expanding a tiny balloon at the site of your blockage to help widen a narrowed artery. Angioplasty is usually combined with implantation of a small metal coil called a stent in the clogged artery to help prop it open and decrease the chance of it narrowing again (restenosis).

Cardiac Pacemaker
A pacemaker is a small, battery-powered device that is implanted permanently into the body. The pacemaker monitors the electrical impulses in the heart and when needed, delivers electrical stimuli to make the heart beat in a more normal rhythm. A pacemaker is used when the heart beats too slowly or has other abnormal rhythms. In some cases, pacemakers are also used to treat the symptoms of heart failure. The pacemaker can restore a normal heart rate so that the heart can pump more effectively. This can reduce or stop the symptoms of abnormal heartbeats, such as dizziness, confusion, fainting, or fatigue.

Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is an imaging test that uses harmless sound waves. It shows how well your heart muscle and valves are working. It also shows how large your heart is. A device that looks like a microphone is used to bounce sound waves off your heart. A computer changes the sound waves into images that are seen on a “T.V.” screen. These images help the doctor evaluate your heart. Echocardiograms are safe and painless.

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Cardiac Nuclear Imaging
Cardiac Nuclear Imaging, also called a “Perfusion Scan,” is a way of checking blood flow through the muscle (or walls) of your heart. To do this, a small amount of radioactive matter is given to you through a vein, thus requiring you to have an I.V. line. A camera scans the tracer in the blood as it flows through your heart muscle. This test may be done before, during, and after exercise. If you can not walk on the treadmill, a medication may be given through the I.V. to substitute for exercise. This medication takes approximately 5 minutes to infuse.

Direct Current Cardioversion
Cardioversion is a brief procedure where an electrical shock is delivered to the heart to convert an abnormal heart rhythm back to a normal rhythm. Most elective or “non-emergency” cardioversions are performed to treat atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, benign heart rhythm disturbances originating in the upper chambers (atria) of the heart. Cardioversion is used in emergency situations to correct a rapid abnormal rhythm associated with faintness, low blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness.

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Abdominal Aortogram with Runoff
Abdominal aortograms with runoff is an arterogram of the lower abdominal aorta and arteries of the legs. This procedure is often done when the patient has pain in the calf muscle after walking a short distance. Discoloration of the toes or feet or a “cold” foot are also symptoms that may warrant this study being done. These images act like road maps for your cardiologist, who may be asked to correct a narrowing in the artery of the leg vessels to restore normal blood flow.

Ankle-Brachial Index Testing (ABI)
ABI testing is performed to screen for peripheral arterial disease of the legs. This test is done by measuring blood pressure at the ankle and in the arm while a person is at rest. Measurements are then repeated at both sites after 5 minutes of exercise. The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) result is used to predict the severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD). A decrease in the ABI result with exercise is a sensitive indicator that significant PAD is probably present.

For more information on these services and the other services we provide, please contact any of our offices, and we will be happy to answer all your heart-related questions.