We Care for Your Heart, From the Heart
When it comes to matters of the heart, you want someone who understands you. Our goal is to give each patient the highest level of quality cardiac care. You can expect a convenient, comfortable setting designed with your needs in mind at our Cardiovascular
Institute.
What Is a Cardiology Clinic?
A cardiovascular clinic like Doctors Medical Center is where you can get medical diagnosis and treatment for your heart. You can count on us for expert medical advice for chronic and acute heart conditions. Our facilities include:
- Receiving center for heart attack or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients
- Valley Heart Institute for providing dedicated outpatient, diagnostic and multidisciplinary cardiology clinic
Our cardiac services include:
- Advanced treatments for atrial fibrillation, such as hybrid maze procedures
- Diagnosis and intervention through cardiac testing, cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
- Leadless pacemaker
- Lung and Heart Failure Program that includes extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), Impella, Veran and other
- screening and treatment options
- Open-heart surgery that includes endovascular vein harvesting
- Peripheral vascular disease treatment that includes aortic stent grafting
- Structural Heart Program, our most comprehensive program in the community, features advancements in minimally invasive treatments, including:
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Mitraclip
- Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR)
- Atrial septal defect (ASD) closure
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
- Watchman
What Does a Cardiovascular Doctor Do?
A cardiovascular doctor is a cardiologist specializing in diagnosing, treating and preventing many heart and blood vessel conditions. They evaluate your symptoms and medical history before recommending tests for a more accurate diagnosis.
The
Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) accredits a cardiologist’s commitment and competence to their field. A cardiologist follows your pre- and post-surgery journey, helping you manage your cardiac health and heart condition
through lifestyle changes and medication.
What Is the Difference Between a Cardiologist and a Cardiac Surgeon?
Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons work together to plan the correct cardiovascular treatment surgical procedure for you. Cardiologists are not trained to perform any surgery, but some can perform specialized procedures due to additional training they
acquired. For instance, an interventional cardiologist can open clogged arteries by using stents. They can also put advanced heart devices for patients with heart disorders. Some cardiologists may perform procedures to treat heart rhythm issues, including
pacemakers, ablation and defibrillation.
If your cardiologist believes you need surgery, they will refer you to a cardiac surgeon who will walk you through the entire surgery process, from preparation to recovery. A cardiac surgeon in Modesto,
CA can correct many heart issues such as:
- Blocked heart vessels
- Congenital or degenerative valve diseases
- Diseases of the aorta
- Heart tumor removal
- Emergency surgeries involving the heart
You may not need to follow up with your cardiac surgeon as soon as you recover.
What Is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular refers to the heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular). A person’s cardiovascular system includes the heart, veins, arteries and capillaries. Abnormalities and disorders affecting the cardiovascular system are cardiovascular diseases.
This includes:
- Angina – chest pain that occurs when there is decreased blood flow to the heart
- Aortic stenosis – the narrowing of the heart valve that results in blockage of the heart-exiting blood flow
- Arrhythmia – irregular heartbeat
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib) – an irregular heart rhythm that may lead to a blood clot, stroke and other cardiac complications
- Congenital heart disease – any cardiac problem that is present from birth
- Coronary artery disease – any disease that affects the heart arteries
- Heart attack – sudden blockage of the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart
- Heart failure – occurs when the heart is not relaxing or contracting normally
- Dilated cardiomyopathy – the enlarged heart cannot efficiently pump blood
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – the thickened heart walls lead to problems in the heart’s electrical stability, blood flow and
- muscle relaxation
- Mitral regurgitation – occurs when the blood flows back to the cardiac mitral valve during heart contractions
- Mitral valve prolapse – as the heart contracts, the abnormal mitral valve bulging to the left atrium results in mitral regurgitation
- Pulmonary stenosis – the narrowing of the pulmonary artery reduces right ventricle blood flow to the pulmonary artery
- Rheumatic heart disease – a strep throat complication resulting in heart inflammation, affecting the function of the heart valve
- Radiation heart disease – chest radiation that damages the blood vessels and heart valves
Some diseases affecting veins, arteries and capillaries include:
- Aneurysm – a bulge in an artery that can bleed and rupture
- Atherosclerosis – the formation of plaque along the wall of blood vessels restricts blood flow
- Blood clotting disorders – blood clots that develop abnormally slow or fast, resulting in excessive bleeding or clotting
- Buerger’s disease – blood vessels swell, restricting blood flow and causing clots to form, leading to tissue pain, damage and even gangrene
- Ischemic stroke– occurs when there is a blockage in the blood vessel supplying blood to the brain
- Renal artery disease – happens when the arteries supplying blood to the kidneys become narrow and stiff, depriving the kidneys of sufficient blood supply
- Raynaud’s disease – abnormal blood vessel narrowing that usually affects the toes and fingers when a person is stressed or cold
- Peripheral artery disease – reduced blood flow to the limbs caused by the narrowing of arteries
- Peripheral venous disease – leg swelling and varicose veins caused by damage or blockage in the peripheral arteries and veins
- Venous blood clots – when blood clots that form in the vein break loose, they can travel to the lungs and block blood flow
