At Gulf Coast Medical Center, we offer the most experienced heart program in Southwest Florida.  Gulf Coast Medical Center opened its heart surgery program in 1975. Expert physicians, state-of-the-art equipment, experienced clinicians and a caring focus allow us to deliver high quality, inter-disciplinary, individualized care.  Our cardiac program includes a full-range of diagnostic, preventative, medical/surgical and rehabilitative services, designed to provide care at all levels.  With the skill and experience of the medical staff, nurses, technologists and therapists, patients can move smoothly throughout our cardiac services - utilizing only those resources needed for their tailored plan of care.

 

• EKG's record the waves of your heart, allowing the physician to make an interpretation of cardiac disease by the patterns that are shown on the graph.
• Stress Testing is a procedure where a small amount of a tracer is injected into your vein, while you are walking on a treadmill; this tracer is carried through the coronary arteries and picked up by the heart muscle cells.  A scan is then taken to produce images that allow the physician to interpret possible blockages in your heart by the amount of blood flow detected.
• Echocardiograms are studies where a small microphone-like device or a transducer is held against the chest at various angles and positions.  This device sends ultrasound waves that bounce off the various parts of the heart, which are then converted into a moving image that is displayed on a screen.  These images allow the cardiologist to view the structure and motion of your heart.
• Other non-invasive testing that can be performed are transesophageal echocardiograms, tilt table testing and cardioversions. 

If problems are found we are able to further our testing by performing more invasive procedures such as:

• Cardiac catheterization is a method used during which doctors insert a long, thin, flexible tube, called a catheter into your body directed toward your heart.  This procedure allows doctors to assess how well your heart is pumping and to examine the vessels and heart valves.  If blockages are found in your heart, our specialized team will immediately repair the blockages with balloon angioplasty.  This procedure allows the doctors to improve the blood flow to the heart.  A flexible catheter with a small balloon at the tip is advanced into the diseased artery.  When the catheter reaches the narrowed area, the balloon is inflated, stretching the artery and flattening the deposits against the walls of the arteries.  
• As part of your treatment the doctor may also insert a stent after the balloon angioplasty. A stent is a small stainless steel device that is permanently implanted in the artery.  Since they were introduced in Florida in the 1990's, we have performed over 3000 stent procedures.
• Coronary atherectomy is a technique similar in many ways to the balloon angioplasty, except that instead of a small balloon, the catheter carries a different type of device, such as a drill or a cutter. Atherectomy is particularly useful when plaque is large or hardened.
• A new program to complete our invasive procedures is our peripheral program.  While renal and iliac arteries have always been under the guidance of the radiologists and vascular surgeons, cardiologists are now able to reduce high blood pressure if renal arteries are narrowed by inserting stents in the arteries. Additionally, iliac arteries, which when narrowed cause pain in your legs and difficulty walking, can be opened with stent insertion performed by cardiologists. 
• The electrical system of your heart is equally as important.  We have a dedicated team of nurses and technicians who perform cases in our Electrophysiology and Implant Department. Electrophysiology is a test used to look more closely at the electrical functioning of your heart, if you have experienced symptoms of arrhythmias or irregular heart beats.  Many medical professionals believe that the EP study is the most accurate and reliable method of evaluating your heart rhythms.  Catheters are placed in your heart allowing the doctor to determine the cause of your irregular heart rhythm.
• Ablation is also a procedure used to eliminate abnormal pathways. Gulf Coast Medical Center has the only mapping system available to rapidly, comprehensively and cost-effectively pinpoints the diagnosis of complex forms of these arrhythmias. This equipment provides electrophysiologists with a real time, virtual image of the electrical activity of your heart, allowing them to make more informed decisions in choosing optimal treatment of these irregular heartbeats.
• Pacemaker and AICD's are implanted devices for patients with life threatening heart rhythms.  New to the market are implanted bi-ventricular pacemakers and AICD's.  These devices not only assist patients with abnormal rhythms, but also allow the heart to improve its pumping mechanism and allow for better outputs for our patients who suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF). 

PATIENT AND FAMILY SUPPORT

Returning home with anew diagnosis can be stressful for patients and their families.  That is why Gulf Coast Medical Center provides education and resources to support the family through their healthcare changes. Gulf Coast Medical Center provides one-on-one pre and post-operative education for the patient and the entire family so that everyone knows what to expect while in the hospital.  Gulf Coast Medical Center collaborates with national organizations, such as The American Heart Association and The National Stroke Association to provide educational, emotional and physical support through professional publications, speakers and support groups.