Cardiology

Cardiology Services at Baptist Health includes dedicated teams of physicians, technicians and nursing staff who offer all diagnostic and interventional procedures available. Invasive state-of-the-art techniques utilized include:

Standing behind the patient from left to right are: Paul Farrell, MD, CHF clinic's medical director; Claire Perrien, RN & Bonnie Heffernan, RN, BSN

• diagnostic catheterization and angiography
• myocardial biopsy
• balloon angioplasty (PTCA)
• directional atherectomy
• rotational atherectomy
• transluminal extraction atherectomy
• intracoronary stenting
• transeptal catheterization
• pulmonic/tricuspid/mitral/aortic valvuloplasty
• coronary flow measurement
• quantitative coronary angiography
• intravascular ultrasound

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Clinic
Baptist Medical Center is the only hospital in Northeast Florida with outpatient CHF infusion therapy. This alternative to hospitalization helps patients manage quality of life issues such as inability to sleep comfortably, shortness of breath, and related respiratory problems. One aspect of treatment is the education of patients on detecting the escalating symptoms of CHF so that action can be taken early.

In an effort to improve the management of acute CHF and enhance the quality of care, Baptist Medical Center participates in a large clinical database called ADHERE (Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry). The ADHERE registry collects data designed to track and study medical management of patients in over 250 hospitals throughout the United States.

Heart Catheterization
A diagnostic heart catheterization is a test in which a small hollow tube (catheter) is guided through a vein or artery into the heart. An iodine compound (a colorless, liquid "dye") is given through the catheter, and moving x-ray pictures are made as the dye travels through the heart.

Diagnostic catheterizations are performed at the Beaches and the Downtown locations. Catheterizations needed as part of a surgical session are scheduled at the Downtown location.

Electrophysiology (EP) Study
An Electrophysiology (EP) study is a diagnostic test used to determine if the patient has abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmia. An EP study is performed in the electrophysiology lab by a cardiologist and is assisted by a specially trained team of technologists and nurses.

An EP study usually takes one and one half to two hours to complete. Patients are given sedative medication to keep them sleepy during the procedure. After the procedure patients are usually asked to lay flat for at least three hours. If your doctor orders an EP study for you, you will receive more detailed information and instructions when the test is scheduled.

Baptist Medical Center (Downtown) has four EP study rooms.

Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE)
A Transesophageal Echocardiogram, or TEE, is a heart scan with an endoscopy. It lets a physician examine the heart and its surrounding blood vessels. A tube with an ultrasound scope is put into the esophagus (the tube that leads to the stomach) in a place near the heart. A transducer (similar to a microphone) sends out ultrasonic sound waves at a frequency too high to be heard. The waves "echo" off of the heart structures and are sent to a computer. The computer interprets the echoes into an image of the heart walls and valves.

The TEE transducer works the same as the one used in a regular echocardiogram. However, a clearer image can be obtained, because the sound waves do not have to pass through skin, muscle, or bone tissue.