Cardiac Care

Advanced Heart Care...Convenient to You

At Jeanes, our cardiologists offer full-service heart care, combining world-class skill with the accessibility and compassion of a family doctor. Our specialists work with you to identify and modify your risk factors, control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduce your overall risk for heart attack and stroke.

If a heart problem is suspected, our cardiologists can offer a wide variety of non-invasive tests to reach a precise diagnosis. Once a problem is identified, they will develop a treatment plan specifically tailored to meet your needs. In the majority of cases, lifestyle changes, medications or other non-invasive options may be the first recommendations.

When it comes to choosing a hospital for heart care, you’ll find experience, quality and convenience at Jeanes Hospital.

At Jeanes, our heart care team includes some of the most respected specialists in the Delaware Valley. Having these experts right here in your neighborhood means that the advanced care you’ll find at a downtown university hospital is now available close to home.

That’s why so many heart patients feel more comfortable in Jeanes.

We Expertly Treat:

• Angina - chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart does not get enough blood

• Arrhythmias - changes in the normal beating rhythm of the heart

• Cardiomyopathy - a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn’t work as well as it should

• Congenital Heart Defects – structural problems in the heart that can involve the heart’s walls or valves, or the arteries and veins near the heart.

• Coronary Artery Disease - a disease that occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become hardened and narrowed

• Heart Attack - this serious event occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to part of the heart is blocked, usually by a clot

• Heart Failure - a condition where the heart can’t pump blood effectively to the rest of the body

• Heart Valve Disease - problems with the heart’s valves can cause blood to not flow through the heart as it should, putting extra strain on the heart

• High Blood Pressure - a condition that occurs when the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries is too great

• High Cholesterol Levels – too much cholesterol can build up in the arteries over time and lead to blockages

General Cardiology Services at Jeanes

At Jeanes, our team of cardiologists knows that the best way to beat heart disease is to avoid it in the first place or stop it early. That is why our doctors put great emphasis on prevention and early detection.

Working closely with your family doctor, our cardiac team actively monitors blood lipids, blood pressure, blood glucose, diet, smoking and exercise to minimize long-term risk for heart disease.

Our cardiac team also uses some of the most advanced, non-invasive tests to diagnose potential heart problems, including:

• Echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to examine the heart
• Stress tests, which find out how well your heart handles work
• Nuclear imaging, a type of testing that involves special cameras and a very low dose of radiation to see how your heart is functioning
• 64-slice CT scanner, the most advanced imaging tool available for detailed pictures of the body and heart

If a problem is detected, our general cardiologists will develop a treatment plan specifically tailored to meet your needs, all while working with a large team of cardiac specialists to provide the most advanced care available.

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is one of the most reliable ways to diagnose and treat certain heart problems. Doctors may perform a catheterization if you have chest pain or if they suspect a problem such as blocked arteries or heart valve disease.

During a catheterization, doctors guide a thin tube called a catheter into the heart or the coronary arteries. Once there, they can detect defects and get information about how well the heart is pumping.

In addition to detecting problems, catheterization can be used to perform treatments that open narrowed or blocked arteries. These include:

• Angioplasty

A small balloon is guided to the site of a blockage. The balloon is then inflated, pressing the plaque blockage against the artery wall and restoring normal blood flow.

• Stent Placement

A stent is a small metal tube that is often used in combination with angioplasty. Once a stent is positioned at the site of a blockage, it expands and holds the artery open.

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Certain heart problems may require surgery. At Jeanes, heart surgery is performed by doctors from Temple University Hospital, one of the region’s most respected heart hospitals. This means you get the same care you would receive at a downtown university hospital right here in your own neighborhood.

One of the most common surgeries is coronary artery bypass graft, or bypass surgery for short. This involves using arteries or veins from another part of the body to “bypass” a blocked artery and restore normal blood flow to the heart.

Temple University Hospital surgeons commonly perform “off pump” bypass surgery, meaning they use special devices to stabilize the beating heart while they operate. This reduces potential complications by eliminating the need to stop the heart during surgery.

The Temple University Hospital surgical team also performs heart valve repair and replacement, as well as pacemaker and cardiac defibrillator implants and synchronized biventricular pacing for heart failure patients.