Heart South utilizes the most modern expertise to diagnose and treat the diseases of the heart and blood vessels.  The following services and procedures are integrated in this comprehensive approach.

Cardiac Catheterization
A process to gather information about the heart and the coronary arteries.  Your doctor inserts a catheter into a blood vessel all the way to the heart.
Learn more about Cardiac Catheterization

Cardioversion
A procedure to restore normal cardiac rhythm.  Your doctor applies controlled electrical shock to the chest wall.  Cardioversion also can be reached with medication.
Learn more about Cardioversion

Balloon Angioplasty 
A procedure to treat narrowed arteries.  Your doctor inserts a balloon-tipped catheter into an artery to press plaque back against the vessel wall to widen or unblock the artery, therefore restoring blood flow.
Learn more about Balloon Angioplasty

Coronary Stent
A procedure to hold an artery open, usually performed immediately following a balloon angioplasty.  While the balloon-tipped catheter is still in place, your doctor inserts a wire mesh tube, or stent, through the catheter.
Learn more about Coronary Stent

Pacemaker and Arrhythmia Management
An artificial pacemaker is a battery-powered device implanted in the chest to monitor and correct an abnormal heart rhythm by sending electrical charges to the heart, if necessary.
Learn more about Pacemaker and Arrhythmia Management

Coumadin Clinic
A process of closely monitor patients requiring the medication, coumadin, which keeps the blood from clotting. Coumadin management incorporates frequent blood checks and changes of the dose of medication, if necessary.

Diagnostic Procedures

Stress Test
An electrocardiogram performed as the patient exercises in a controlled manner, such as on a treadmill or stationary bicycle at varied speeds and elevations.  A stress test helps detect heart irregularities, disease and damage.

Echocardiogram
A test using sound waves to produce a moving image on a video screen of the patient's heart.  Your doctor uses an echocardiogram to study thickness, size and function of the heart, as well as the motion pattern and structure of the four heart valves.

Nuclear Stress Test
A supervised test where physical exercise (treadmill) or medication are used to stress the patient's heart.  The patient is monitored using an EKG device and a radioactive tracer is injected.  Following the procedure, an image of the patient's heart is made.  Upon completion of a second (rest) image, your doctor interprets the test.

Doppler (Venous and Carotid)
A non-invasive test that evaluates blood flow in the major vein and arteries of the arms and legs, and in the extracranial cerebrovascular system.

Holter Monitor
An electrocardiogram, or EKG, that is temporarily attached to patients for 24 hours.  The electrocardiogram continuously records the heart's electrical activity as the patients go about their daily routines.

Vascular Angiography
A test to permit a radiographic of the vascular system after a contrast material has been injected.