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cardiology On the central coast

Your heart is a strong muscle, and the organ works hard every day to pump an average of 7,000 liters of blood every 24 hours. The heart is built to last a long lifetime, and with proper care, it will. However, human lifestyles have significantly changed in modern years, testing the limits the heart was built to accommodate.

Heart disease is a leading killer in the United States. Our bodies were not designed to routinely eat fatty or sugary foods without getting proper exercise. Unfortunately, high blood pressure and high cholesterol often have no warning signs, leaving many people ignorant about their current heart health. For this reason, everyone should have their blood pressure and cholesterol checked at least once every two years.

Comprehensive Cardiovascular Services

Our cardiology care at Salinas Valley Health serves to educate patients on how to keep their heart healthy. Our skilled team of cardiac physicians work together to perform cardiovascular health treatments through the Central Coast Cardiology facility, offering many cardiothoracic surgeries.

The following are warning signs that you need a heart checkup:

  • Tight feeling in chest
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Feeling winded after climbing stairs
  • Heart starts pumping faster for no reason
  • Loud snoring, as this could result from sleep apnea, which impacts your cardiovascular system
  • Constant coughing

Remember: Heart disease is called the silent killer for a reason. While you may have symptoms that hint at a problem, it is highly likely that there will be no signs until it’s too late. With regular physicals you can stay on top of your heart health and remain confident that everything is working as it should.

Overview of cardiology and cardiovascular services:

  • Vascular Interventional Procedure - The percutaneous trans-arterial bypass (PTAB) is a minimally invasive cardiovascular procedure, a major advancement to treat severe blockage of the arteries in the legs.
  • Electrophysiology – Our specialists provide the most advanced diagnostics and treatments available today for individuals with an irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia).
  • Cardiothoracic surgery – We offer outstanding cardiac surgical care for those in the region, including advanced surgical solutions for patients with complex heart health issues.
  • Cardiac rehabilitation – With an on-campus Cardiac Fitness Center, we are able to provide comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation for people who recently suffered a heart attack, underwent heart surgery or have heart disease.
  • Interventional cardiology – Our state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratories perform innovative, sophisticated interventional procedures paired with world-class care from our team.
    • Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) TAVR is a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. The TAVR procedure is done in a cardiac catheterization lab by an interventional cardiologist. A catheter is used to introduce an artificial heart valve through a blood vessel in the patient’s groin. The catheter is guided up to the heart, where the new valve is positioned inside the defective aortic valve, opening up blood flow and allowing the heart to pump more efficiently. The entire procedure takes less than two hours, and patients usually go home within one or two days. Click here to learn more.
    • WATCHMAN LAAC™ cardiac implant This cardiac implant offers an alternative to blood thinners to reduce stroke risk for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem. The nonsurgical procedure, known as left atrial appendage closure (LAAC), is done in a cardiac catheterization lab using a catheter inserted into a blood vessel in the patient’s groin. The Watchman device is implanted into the left atrial appendage, which is the small pocket inside the heart where blood clots tend to form. The procedure takes about two hours and patients spend one night in the medical center. Over 90% of patients are able to safely stop taking blood thinner medication about six weeks after the procedure. Click here to learn more.
    • Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure – The patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure device placement procedure is a catheter-based procedure. A catheter is used to guide the placement of a PFO closure device that will close the hole (prevent the flap from opening) in the heart wall. Once the device is inserted, it becomes a permanent implant. Here at Salinas Valley Health, we use the Amplatzer™ PFO Occluder, which is the industry-leading device for this procedure. To read more on the Amplatzer™ PFO Occluder, click here.

    • MitraClipTherapy - MitraClip™ repairs leaky mitral valves without open-heart surgery and is delivered to the heart through a small incision in the leg. The non-surgical treatment works by clipping together portions of the leaflets, or flaps, of the mitral valve in order to reduce Mitral Regurgitation, which allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently, thereby relieving symptoms and improving patient quality-of-life. Click here to learn more.

  • Noninvasive cardiology We perform thousands of cardiac diagnostic studies every year, utilizing a team effort to pioneer the latest noninvasive cardiology solutions.

HEART ATTACK

Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack:
  • Chest discomfort
  • Shortness of breath
  • Arms, neck and back pain
  • Fatigue and cold sweat

Every minute counts. Call 911.

STROKE

Know the signs of a stroke.

Use the FAST test to remember warning signs of stroke:

  • F: face weakness
  • A: Arm weakness
  • S: Speech problems
  • T: Time to call 911

Every minute counts. Call 911.