Presbyterian Heart and Vascular Care offers patients with blockages in arteries, heart valve narrowing, heart rhythm disorders, and some congenital heart disorders a variety of diagnostic and interventional services. Our team uses a variety of techniques to diagnose and treat these types of conditions and develop a customized treatment plan for each patient.
For some patients, we offer a radial lounge for cardiac catheterizations, which is a more comfortable way to recover from this procedure. After the procedure, patients can sit upright in a comfortable recliner chair in a private recovery bay before being discharged home. Our hybrid cardiac catheterization lab can manage most interventions done in a traditional lab setting, as well as being able to support more invasive procedures.
Conditions Treated (13)
Heart rhythm problems (heart arrhythmias) occur when the electrical impulses in your heart don't work properly. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm. Arrhythmias can be harmless or life-threatening.
Plaque buildup in your arteries is called atherosclerosis. These deposits are made up of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood).
Atrial fibrillation (also called AFib) is an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications. At least 2.7 million Americans are living with AFib.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) starts when the wall of a coronary artery is damaged. Plaque (a fatty substance) then builds up inside the artery along the artery walls. Over time, the buildup of plaque narrows the path for the blood to flow through the artery. It also makes the artery walls stiff and less able to expand.
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a hole in the wall (septum) of the heart that separates the lower chambers (ventricles). It is a common congenital (from birth) heart defect. The hole allows blood to pass from the left to the right side of the heart. This causes oxygen-rich blood to get pumped back to the lungs instead of out to the body. The heart has to work harder to give the body enough oxygen.
Cerebrovascular disease includes all diseases in which an area of the brain is temporarily or permanently affected by ischemia (lack of blood) or bleeding, and one or more of the cerebral blood vessels are damaged or diseased.
Chest pain can come in many forms: a sharp stab, a dull ache, crushing, or burning sensations. There are many different causes of chest pain. The most life-threatening involve the heart or lungs. If you feel chest pain, it's important to seek medical help.
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common type of birth defect. CHDs are present at birth and can affect the structure of a baby’s heart and the way it works. They can affect how blood flows through the heart and out to the rest of the body.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the legs or lower extremities is the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood from the heart to your limbs. It is primarily caused by the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis. PAD can happen in any blood vessel, but it is more common in the legs than the arms.
Diseased valves, known as valvular heart disease, can lead to heart failure if not repaired or replaced. Heart valves must fully open and close during the heartbeat for enough oxygen-rich blood to flow to all parts of the body. With diseased valves, the heart can’t effectively pump blood throughout the body and needs to work harder.
Veins are vessels that have flaps inside called valves. These valves open and close with your heart beat. When your heart muscles contract, the valves open and push blood through. When your muscles relax, the valves close. This process keeps your blood flowing in one direction. If the valves inside your veins become damaged as a result of venous disease, the valves may not close completely. This allows blood to leak backward or flow in both directions. Your heart has to work harder.
Ventricular tachycardia is a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) caused by abnormal electrical signals in the heart's lower chambers (ventricles).
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) disease is a condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway in the heart that leads to periods of rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
Treatments (9)
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) surgery is a minimally invasive procedure in which a new heart valve is placed inside the diseased valve.
Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to diagnose and treat heart diseases.
Coronary atherectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to remove arterial blockage (plaque) in the coronary arteries to improve blood flow to the heart and relieve pain.
Alcohol septal ablation is a non-surgical procedure that is used to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is an inherited disease in which your heart muscle becomes abnormally thick.
Balloon angioplasty uses a balloon attached to a catheter that's inserted into an artery. At the place where deposits of plaque have closed off or narrowed the channel for blood flow, the balloon is inflated.
Stents are small mesh tubes inserted to keep arteries open after a procedure called angioplasty. Drug-eluting stents are special because they have a polymer coating that releases medication directly into your artery continuously over time.
Stenting is a procedure to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that supply blood to the heart.
Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) is a minimally invasive technique for patients with mitral regurgitation (MR).
The Watchman implant procedure is a surgery in which a small device is implanted into the heart to close the left atrial appendage (LAA).
Providers
Presbyterian has a wealth of highly skilled doctors and advanced practice clinicians throughout New Mexico who specialize in heart and vascular care, from diagnosis to treatment. Find a heart and vascular doctor near you.