Specialty care for complex heart conditions
When you choose Ascension Medical Group St. John Heart and Vascular Center for your heart and vascular care, you get an entire team trained to deliver the latest in therapeutics and surgery to help prevent, diagnose, manage, and treat heart and vascular diseases. At Ascension St. John, heart specialists and care teams provide advanced heart testing and diagnostics, treatments, medication management, surgical heart care, and cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. As part of a national heart care team, our doctors share best practices in care and research, connecting you to advanced heart care close to home. Starting with your first consultation, your doctor listens to understand you and your health concerns. Then, we work with you to create a heart care plan that’s right for you.
Multispecialty care for heart and vascular condition
When you need more advanced heart care, your doctor can connect you with a heart specialist close to home. From heart scans to vascular surgery, your doctors, specialists and care team at Ascension St. John Medical Center collaborate, working together for you and with you. We also provide heart care at Ascension St. John Jane Phillips in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Our advanced specialty care includes:
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
- Chronic Total Occlusion
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
- Heart valve and structural heart disease
- High blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Advanced surgical care for heart conditions: Surgeons at Ascension St. John specialize in minimally invasive heart surgery and open-heart surgery. Minimally invasive procedures, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), may help shorten your recovery time and lower your risk of infection. If open-heart surgery is recommended, our surgeons have the expertise to provide the advanced heart care you need.
- Advanced care for heart failure: Heart specialists at Ascension St. John diagnose and treat heart failure. If you feel you are at risk or have received a recent diagnosis, request a first consultation or second opinion from our care team. Your doctor delivers a personalized care plan that may include medications, advanced therapeutics and surgical care.
- Heart scans to detect risk of heart attack and stroke: A simple heart screening can help you and your doctor better understand your heart health and could help save your life. Talk to your primary care doctor to see if a heart screening is right for you. A heart scan is not for everyone. It is not recommended for routine screening of people who do not have symptoms of heart disease and have a low risk of heart attacks. Some heart disease risk factors include hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, tobacco use and a family history of heart disease.
Symptoms of heart attack in men and women
If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, irregular heartbeat or other risk factors for heart disease, your doctor works with you to prevent heart attack and stroke. Some heart attacks begin suddenly, while others start with mild discomfort. Watch for these symptoms of heart attack in both men and women:
- Chest discomfort, pressure, or pain
- Difficulty breathing independent of activity
- Lightheadedness or loss of consciousness
- New weakness or fatigue
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Sudden pain in the arm (particularly left arm), jaw, neck, or back
Go to the ER right away if you notice these symptoms in yourself or a loved one. Ascension St. John Medical Center has an ER open 24/7 for life-threatening emergencies like heart attack. And if you need more care, you’ll be connected to an experienced heart care team.
If you are experiencing chest pain, especially in combination with jaw or arm pain, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting or difficulty breathing, you might be having a heart attack. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Supporting your heart care recovery
Whenever possible, your heart surgeon or interventional cardiologist uses minimally invasive techniques and image-guided technology to deliver advanced treatments and procedures to help shorten your recovery. Sometimes your doctor may recommend an overnight stay in the hospital after surgery for additional monitoring and care. And, if you need cardiac intensive care, we provide that too, at Ascension St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, and Ascension St. John Jane Phillips in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Cardiac rehabilitation: Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation specialists at Ascension St. John work with you to strengthen your heart and lungs and help manage your symptoms. During cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, we monitor your heart, nutrition and lifestyle changes to help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure to improve your overall health. We also help you cope with stress by providing support to you and your family.
Your care team can also connect you to the care you need through recovery, including:
- Heart nutrition counseling
- Medication anticoagulation management
- Transitional care, bridging next steps once home, including fitness and wellness options
Cardiovascular research and clinical trials
Our doctors are committed to being leaders in cardiovascular research, working to help improve how we diagnose and treat heart and vascular diseases. Your doctor may recommend a clinical trial as part of your care. And you can talk to your cardiologist if you are interested in participating in clinical trials.