Maryvale Cardiology

Services

In Office Services

Hospital Services

In Office Services

Consultations
All physicians within the practice provide clinical consultation at one or both of our offices, and in our participating hospitals. Cardiac evaluation and assessment of risk for developing heart disease are an integral part of the exam. A review of the patient’s history and physical examination is performed. Usually an electrocardiogram (ECG) is performed to assist the physician in determining the condition of the heart. The physician may order additional tests. A treatment plan is developed and a full report is given to the referring physician.

*Urgent Care*
We provide urgent care everyday at both offices. Any patient requiring a same-day appointment can be seen for office consultation. Most diagnostic tests can be scheduled within 24 hours. Call the office for an appointment.

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Electrocardiogram(ECG)
This test is used to evaluate the electrical activity generated by the heart at rest.

Treadmill Testing
This type of stress test is conducted on a treadmill using various walking protocols. Depending on the patient, your cardiologist may opt to select a more sophisticated test by using heart images for obtaining more information about your heart.

Nuclear Stress Testing
Our state-of-the-art Nuclear laboratory performs several types of cardiovascular diagnostic tests. With the use of hi-tech computers, we can analyze relative blood flow and global function of the heart muscle. Nuclear cardiac tests may be used in conjunction with treadmill or pharmacologic stress tests.

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Echocardiography
This service provides complete evaluation of the heart, valves, and cardiac function through the use of 2-D and M-mode imaging with Doppler and color-flow ultrasound.

Types of echocardiograms performed at Maryvale Cardiology include:

  1. Transthoracic Echocardiogram: used in most echocardiogram exams, performed with the patient resting on their back or side
  2. Exercise Stress Echocardiogram: the transthoracic echocardiogram is performed in conjunction with a treadmill stress test, to evaluate the heart response to exercise stress
  3. Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram: used to evaluate the heart response to stress in patients who cannot perform treadmill exercise. Dobutamine is a medication that stimulates the heart.
  4. Contrast Echocardiogram: echocardiogram images may be enhanced with the use of "microbubbles" injected during the study. The injected material is quickly eliminated in the body.
  5. Adult Congenital: special techniques are used to evaluate congenital abnormalities (present at birth) and assess surgical treatments.
  6. Pacemaker and Defibrillator Assessment: special techniques are used to assess response to pacemaker therapy, or need for defibrillator treatment

Vascular Laboratory
This service provides screening and assessment for peripheral vascular and cerebral vascular disease. We are able to screen and assess both for arterial and venous disease of the upper and lower extremities, including stroke screening.

  1. Carotid Doppler - complete ultrasound exam of the extracranial and vertebral arteries. This test is designed to follow cerebral plaque disease, screen for stroke and TIA, and assess cerebral blood flow.
  2. Venous Doppler - complete simple ultrasound exam to assess for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), superficial Thrombophebitis, and venous insufficiency.
  3. Ankle Brachial Index - This is a simple blood pressure exam to assess peripheral circulation of the legs and screen for intermittent claudication and arterial occlusive disease.
  4. Arterial Imaging - a complete ultrasound study of the upper and lower extremities to evaluate extensive arterial occlusive disease. We can also evaluate for aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm, and we can evaluate bypass grafts of the lower extremities.
  5. Abdominal Aorta Imaging - this is an ultrasound study of the abdominal aorta to monitor aneurysm and aorta size

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Holter and Cardiac Event Monitoring
An ambulatory Holter monitor is a portable 24-hour tape recording of your heart beat used to detect irregularities in rhythm. Event recording is a patient-activated Holter monitor-like recorders and continuous event monitors are used for an extended period of time and is helpful in the evaluation of sporadic cardiac symptoms or events.

Pacemaker Clinic
There are several tests that can be performed to evaluate your pacemaker. In the future many of the routine pacer checks are done via telephone transmission from the patient's home. For now, the patient periodically needs to come to the office for a formal evaluation or for computerized reprogramming of the device.

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Coumadin Clinic
Patients currently seeing at Maryvale Cardiology physician and who have been prescribed anticoagulants may have their labs drawn and medications adjusted on a walk-in basis during clinic hours. Results are communicated to patients and primary care physicians. The clinic manager also provides one-on-one education and counseling regarding medication management.

Spirometry
Spirometry is a valuable test that can be used to detect, follow, and manage patients with lung disorders.

Total Vein Care
Includes endovenous laser therapy and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy for varicose veins, and liquid sclerotherapy for spider and reticular veins. We also perform thrombolysis and venous invasive procedures for extense deep venous thrombosis with the purpose of dissolving the blood clots formed inside the peripheral veins. Please visit our Vein Clinic section for more details.

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Hospital Services

Electrical Cardioversion
Both cardioversion and defibrillation deliver an electrical shock to the heart. The shock can restore a normal heartbeat. Both types of treatment are used in people who have abnormal heartbeats or heart rhythms, called arrhythmias

Transesophageal Echocardiography
This type of echocardiogram, also known as TEE, is performed by inserting a small flexible tube with an ultrasound transducer into the esophagus (similar to an endoscopy) after the throat is numbed with a local anesthetic spray and the patient receives mild intravenous sedation. This 15-20 minute examination provides accurate, detailed information on different heart structures.

Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Angioplasty and Stents
Cardiac catheterization (sometimes called an angiogram) is a specialized test which is useful in the evaluation of heart disease. The presence or lack of coronary artery disease as well as the specific location and severity of coronary lesions can be determined with a cardiac catheterization. This procedure is able to determine the function of the heart chambers, valves, and other cardiac structures. This test can also measure the different pressures and gradients within the heart. Cardiac catheterization is relatively safe and is typically associated with very low morbidity and mortality.

Coronary angioplasty is accomplished by using various techniques for the purpose of mechanical widening of coronary arteries in order to reestablish coronary blood flow. Some of these techniques include PTCA (balloon angioplasty), stents, atherectomy, and rotablators. These procedures are always preceded by a diagnostic cardiac catheterization.

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Coronary Intravascular Ultrasound Examination (IVUS)
It is a catheter based system that allows cardiologists to acquire images of coronary and peripheral arteries from inside the artery. IVUS provides accurate measurements of lumen and vessel size, and detail characteristics of the cholesterol plaques including plaque area and volume, and the location of key anatomical landmarks.

Peripheral Angiography, Angioplasty, and Stents
Images of the peripheral arteries are obtained during a procedure similar to a cardiac catheterization. In some cases, a sophisticated intravascular catheter is inserted in the arteries for a better definition of their anatomic characteristics. In addition, our cardiologists use the same proven, minimally invasive methods used to clear blockages in the coronary arteries, namely angioplasty and stenting, to treat peripheral arterial disease without surgery and with excellent results. Please visit our Peripheral Arterial Disease Clinic for more details.

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