Heart failure care in Panama City

Are you experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue or have swelling in your ankles, legs or stomach? You may be experiencing signs of congestive heart failure, a chronic condition where your heart is unable to pump blood properly. The heart specialists at Ascension Sacred Heart Bay diagnose and treat heart failure with state-of-the-art medical testing, treatments and surgery, including minimally invasive procedures, VAD.

Every appointment starts with a conversation about how you are feeling, including new symptoms and concerns. Then, your cardiologist will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that may include connecting you to heart screenings and the right cardiovascular specialists. Your cardiologists are part of a national team of doctors who share best practices and research, and collaborate on advanced treatment options. And, with cardiology offices across Northwest Florida, you can expect supportive and compassionate heart care, close to home.

Getting the right testing, treatments and care for health failure

Congestive heart failure is a condition that has stages and gets worse over time. Cardiovascular diseases, including peripheral vascular disease such as narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (AFib), a leaky heart valve, and inherited conditions, can cause congestive heart failure. Getting treatment sooner may slow the progression, relieve symptoms and prevent more serious disease.

Testing may include:

• Calcium scoring to assess your risk of heart disease by measuring calcium deposits in the coronary arteries
• Cardiac nuclear imaging
• Cardiac CT, which creates a 3D image of your heart to detect plaque and blockages, often before symptoms appear
• Diagnostic catheter
• Echocardiogram (TTE)
• Exercise stress testing
• Stress echocardiograms
• Transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE)
• 24-hour ambulatory EKG monitoring

If surgery is recommended as part of your care plan, your doctor will use minimally invasive options whenever possible. During a minimally invasive procedure, tiny incisions are made. Minimally invasive surgery may shorten your recovery time and lower your risk of infection.

Protected PCI for severe heart disease

If you have been told you are not a candidate for heart surgery, your doctor may recommend percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or heart pump. At the heart failure clinic at Sacred Heart Bay, our doctors specialize in advanced heart failure treatments, including PCI. During this procedure, an interventional cardiologist will inflate a small balloon in the narrowed portion of your artery to re-open it and restore normal blood flow. Your doctor may also insert a small stent to keep your artery open. PCI is a minimally invasive procedure.

Our multispecialty cardiovascular care teams deliver many treatment options for advanced heart failure, including:

• Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
• Coronary bypass surgery
• Heart valve repair or replacement
• Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
• Medical management, including remote patient monitoring
• Medication therapies
• Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) for limb salvage
• Renal artery denervation
• Ventricular assist device (VAD)

Get a second opinion on your heart or vascular condition, diagnosis or care plan

When you are facing a new diagnosis or deciding on a surgical or therapeutic treatment plan, there’s a lot to think about. At Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, we make it easy for you to get a second opinion. Our specialists and care team can:

• Review your medical records and healthcare history
• Answer questions
• Discuss options for restoring or correcting your heart’s rhythm
• Connect you to heart and vascular specialists for minimally invasive surgery and open-heart surgery, including coronary bypass, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) ventricular assist devices (VADs).

Before your appointment, check with your insurance company to find out if a second opinion is covered. We can request your medical records on your behalf so they can be shared with your care team before your arrival.

Helping you transition home from the hospital

At Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, your care team supports you before, during and after your procedure. Once you are discharged, we’ll connect you with cardiac rehab, help you manage your medications, monitor your heart health over time and educate you on how to care for your health to help avoid a more serious condition.

Heart failure care team at Ascension Sacred Heart Bay

Gregory England, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery

Richard Eubanks, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery

Amir Haghighat, MD
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology

Nghia Hoang, DO
Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiology

Saeed Khaja, DO
Cardiac Electrophysiology, Cardiology

Timothy McShurley, MD
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology

Ross Melvin, DO
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology

Ajay Mhatre, MD
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology

Michael Morrow, MD
Diagnostic Cardiology

Samir Patel, MD
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology

Michael Stokes, MD
Diagnostic Cardiology

Joey Trantham, MD
Cardiac Electrophysiology, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology

GET A SECOND OPINION

Frequently asked questions about heart failure