Cardiology is a field in medicine that deals with studying, diagnosing, and treating heart disorders and diseases. Being among the vital organs in the body, heart problems are of major importance. Patients suffering from these conditions should immediately undergo check-ups and necessary treatment.
Heart conditions can be congenital or developed over time due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Others may have been triggered by trauma, resulting in emergency workup and long-term treatment. Due to the nature of cardiological procedures, they tend to be expensive, often causing people to avoid treatment if possible. However, we understand the importance of these procedures in ensuring a healthy heart. We offer low-cost cardiological diagnosis and treatments for people living in Cuenca, Ecuador, making these procedures more accessible than before.
Common Cardiology Procedures
A cardiology patient living in Cuenca, Ecuador, may undergo different procedures depending on their condition, age, and other risk factors. Common procedures include the following:
- Angioplasty: A mechanical procedure that widens arteries and promotes better blood circulation. Usually, atherosclerosis, a condition where white blood cells build up along the arterial lining, causes obstruction. This restricts good blood circulation, which is detrimental to health. A balloon catheter is used to widen arterial space.
- Heart Bypass: Also known as coronary artery bypass, this procedure involves grafting a vein or an artery from another part of the body and placing them into the narrowing artery caused by atherosclerosis. This invasive procedure often saves patients from coronary artery disease.
- Heart Valve Replacement: This procedure replaces heart valves with a bioprosthesis to ensure blood won’t flow back to the heart once it is pumped out. This also ensures oxygenated and deoxygenated blood will pass through their appropriate chambers. The heart has several valves, and a patient may undergo one or two replacements depending on their conditions.
- Pacemaker Implant and Reading: Heart contractions are triggered by electrical impulses. Some people experience electrical impulse issues resulting in problematic heartbeats and rates. Patients may undergo artificial pacemaker implantation and reading to use produced electrodes to make these electrical impulses more effective in contracting the heart.
- Radiofrequency Ablation: This procedure ablates electrical conduction problems in the heart and other issues on tissues using current from another source. Ablation is an outpatient procedure that can be completed whether the patient is conscious or under anesthesia.
Recuperation
Patients living in Cuenca, Ecuador, who will undergo these procedures require different recuperation procedures and schedules. Major surgeries may require patients to be hospitalized for more than a week. If the patient recovers without complications, they may soon be released and simply visit our facilities for some follow-up procedures. Medications intake must be followed accordingly.
Hospitalization is unnecessary for several procedures, although regular check-ups will be required to monitor patients’ progress.
Complications
Various complications may arise considering cardiac procedures’ generally invasive nature. Complications may include temporary irregular heartbeat, chest pain, infection on the incision area, and others. However, our experts will monitor our patients round-the-clock to see if these complications present and provide immediate treatment.
Preparations
Cardiac procedures vary, although general pre-operation procedures should be followed. These include a complete medical checkup to ensure the patient’s health and providing the right cardiologic treatment. Patients will undergo an electrocardiogram, 2D-echo, and other diagnostic procedures to assess the current condition of their hearts. Risk factors and potential complications will be introduced to the patient. Major surgery will put the patient under general anesthetics before incising the chest or shoulder area.
Heart problems can be fatal. Be mindful of the symptoms and contact our Cardiology department right away for heart disease-related symptoms at 410-8745 or send us an email.
*Originally published on Find Health in Ecuador October 15, 2014
