Cardio Services

Entrust your cardiac health with people who genuinely care. Our advanced and compassionate cardiac services at Placentia-Linda Hospital in Placentia, CA may help lead to better outcomes, improved experiences and fuller lives for our patients. We are here for you every step of your heart journey, from diagnosis to treatment.

Let us connect you with highly experienced cardiac and vascular surgeons, cardiologists and staff who can provide you with the high-quality and safe care you deserve.

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What Is Cardiovascular Disease?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease (clogged arteries), which can cause stroke, heart attacks, peripheral artery disease and congenital heart defects. Cardiovascular diseases cause one in three deaths in the United States. CVDs include:

• Coronary heart disease – affects the blood vessels supplying the heart
• Cerebrovascular disease – affects the blood vessels supplying the brain
• Congenital heart disease – heart defects and abnormal heart development present at birth
• Peripheral arterial disease – a disease affecting blood vessels supplying the limbs
• Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis – blood clots in the veins found in the leg which can dislodge and travel to the lungs and heart
• Rheumatic heart disease – damage to the heart and its valves due to rheumatic fever

Risk Factors

The exact cause of CVD remains unknown, but the following are risk factors that may lead to the development of this disease:

• Age
• Diabetes
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Family history of cardiovascular diseases
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Inactivity
• Obesity
• Smoking

What Are the Symptoms of Heart Disease?

Your physician may refer you to a cardiologist if you have any of the risk factors or experience any of the following symptoms of heart disease:

• Chest pains
• Dizziness
• Heart rhythm changes
• High blood pressure
• Shortness of breath

Chest pain is one of the most common heart attack symptoms and one of the most common reasons people go to the emergency room. Each year, about 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack. Emergency room physicians will tell you that for a heart attack to be treated effectively, the treatment must start within 30 minutes from when the symptoms start.

Placentia-Linda Hospital encourages everyone to get informed on heart attack care and prevention for your sake and the sake of your loved ones. Our experienced cardiologists at Placentia-Linda Hospital can provide you with cardiac care services to assess, diagnose and treat patients at risk of CVD.

Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis

Our cardiologists will review our patient’s medical history, conduct physical examinations and may request several cardiovascular tests to diagnose and assess heart condition properly. Here are some of the heart tests that may be performed:

• 4-Hour Holter Monitors – a heart rate monitor aims to check heart activities for more extended periods
• 30-Day Event Recorders – a device you can tap to record your heart activity whenever you experience symptoms
• Arterial Vascular Study Lower Extremity – aims to check blood flow in a patient’s lower extremity arteries
• Echocardiogram (EEG) – track and record brain wave patterns through electrodes attached to a patient
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) – aims to record the heart’s electrical activity
• Exercise Stress Test – aims to monitor heart activity while a patient walks or runs on a treadmill with heart-monitoring equipment attached to them
• Dobutamine Stress Test with Echocardiography Imaging or Nuclear Imaging – uses dobutamine medication to artificially increase heartbeat to be assessed by echocardiography or nuclear imaging
• Lexiscan Stress Test – obstruction in the coronary arteries is identified by using Lexiscan to dilate these arteries
• Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) – uses sound waves to get detailed photos of the heart and arteries

Cardiovascular Conditions We Treat

At Placentia-Linda Hospital, we have years of experience, advanced technology and highly qualified staff to provide you with cardiology services. With our high-tech imaging procedures, comprehensive cardiac testing and screenings and advanced operating rooms, we can handle the following conditions:

• Acute Coronary Syndrome – refers to a situation where the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked, resulting in a heart attack, unstable angina or other medical emergencies
• Angina – chest discomfort or pain caused by insufficient oxygen-rich blood reaching the heart
• Arrhythmia – change from the heart’s normal electrical impulse sequence, resulting in irregular heartbeat or rhythm
• Atherosclerosis – the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) in the arteries, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow
• Atrial fibrillation (AFib) - a type of arrhythmia wherein the heart’s upper and lower chambers are not coordinated
• Cardiac arrest – the heart suddenly stops pumping
• Cardiomyopathy – a heart disease that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the entire body efficiently
• Congenital heart defects – heart defects present at birth
• Coronary artery disease – narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries
• Heart attack – happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart suddenly becomes blocked
• Heart block – a type of arrhythmia characterized by the interruption of the electrical signal from the heart’s atria to the ventricles
• Heart Failure – the heart is not pumping as efficiently as it normally should
• Infective Endocarditis – a bacterial infection in the heart’s inner lining
• Inherited Rhythm Disorders (IRDs) – inherited arrhythmia that may cause heart-related complications to an individual
• Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) – an inherited heart problem affecting the heartbeat
• Pericarditis – the inflammation of the pericardium, the heart’s sac-like covering
• Valve Disorders – happen when one or more heart valves do not close or open properly

Cardiovascular Disease Treatment

In general, the aim of treating cardiovascular diseases is to unclog the arteries so that normal blood flow can be restored and further damage to the cardiovascular system can be prevented. Treatment includes lifestyle or diet changes as well as prescription medications.

However, a heart attack is a medical emergency. Call 911 or your nearest hospital if you or you observe anyone having symptoms. An individual should receive heart attack treatment as quickly as possible.

Our team of cardiologists at Placentia-Linda Hospital strives to provide you with safe and customized care depending on the type of heart disease and its severity. Here are some of the cardiovascular procedures that we perform:

• Angioplasty – opening a narrowed or clogged artery around the heart
• Artificial heart valve surgery – replacing or repairing diseased heart valves
• Cardiac catheterization
• Catheter ablation
• Heart transplant
• Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR)