Heart & Vascular Care

Overview

Heart and vascular surgery
Ingalls Integrated Heart Care Center strives to deliver excellent care by focusing on individual needs of the patient, delivering state-of-the-art surgical procedures by skilled and dedicated surgeons and providing education and information to the patient about treatment, procedures and paths of care. Some of the surgeries we offer are coronary artery bypass, cardiac valve surgery and an array of minimally invasive surgeries.

Diagnostics offered throughout the South Suburbs
Heart and vascular disease presents itself differently in everyone. To fully understand your cardiovascular system, we offer a complete range of diagnostic tests at Ingalls locations throughout the South Suburbs.

Finding problems before they're a problem
Our screenings can help detect potential heart conditions before they become a problem. We offer the following screening for a comprehensive picture of your heart's health:

• Ingalls HeartAware risk assessment - This free, online
   assessment is a quick and convenient way to determine if
   you are at risk for heart disease, right in the comfort of
   your home or office. HeartAware also raises your awareness
   about heart disease through easy-to-read education material

• Visit www.Ingalls.org/HeartAware to take the assessment
   today. In less than seven minutes, your assessment will tell
   you if you have two or more risk factors, one risk factor or
   no risk factors.

• If your assessment reveals three or more risk factors for,
   heart disease you are eligible to receive a FREE health
   screening package that includes a full lipid profile, blood
   glucose level and measurements of blood pressure, body
   mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

• Afterward, an Ingalls nurse navigator will follow up with you
   to discuss your results and make a plan to minimize your
   future risks for heart disease. The screening is available at
   several convenient Ingalls locations.

Your services
The more treatment options you have, the more likely it is that your treatment will be successful. The heart and vascular teams at Ingalls offer the latest procedures and therapies including:

• Medical therapy - non-invasive treatment and diagnostics
   such as disease management with medications,education
   and preventative and therapeutic activities

• Angioplasty and stent implantation - procedures to enlarge a
   narrowing in a coronary artery

• Stent - a small stainless steel tube implanted in a blocked
   artery to hold the vessel open

• Coronary atherectomy - a procedure to remove plaque and
   reopen an a artery

• Congestive Heart Failure Center – outpatient treatments,
   coordinated care and education to help reduce any shortness
   of breath or swelling.

• Pacemaker or defibrillator implantation – artificial electrical
   stimulation for significant problems with the heart's rhythm

• Treatment for aneurysms

• Treatment for arterial disease

Focusing on women
Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more women each year than the next seven causes of death combined - and almost twice as many as all forms of cancer. Ingalls has become the first hospital in the state to join Women's HeartAdvantage - a national initiative to change women's behavior about heart disease, and ultimately, save lives. Women's HeartAdvantage will raise awareness and change behavior among women about steps that they can take to prevent heart attacks, recognize symptoms and seek prompt treatment if a problem is suspected.

Both risks and symptoms may vary between men and women. With post-menopausal women, for example, the loss of estrogen makes it more difficult to control blood pressure and the balance of "bad" cholesterol vs. "good" cholesterol. And, in addition to men's classic symptoms, women may also experience indigestion, nausea, dizziness and pain in the shoulder blade area - symptoms frequently excused for less life-threatening conditions.

Ask your doctor for more information, or log onto www.womensheartadvantage.org.

Heart Care

• All-digitized catheterization (cath) lab Ingalls was the first in
   the Chicago area to offer this imaging system which allows
   cardiologists to view hard-to-see blood vessels with
   exceptional clarity.

• Biventricular cardiac technology Ingalls was one of the first in
   the nation to offer this revolutionary new pacemaker for
   congestive heart failure patients.

• CT Angiography: Ingalls was the first in the area to offer
   high-speed CT angiography for the coronary arteries in a
   cardiology setting. It is available at the Harvey campus. Call
   708-915-3333 to schedule an appointment.

• Heart scan: Ingalls was the first in the area to offer this
   high-speed X-ray to detect calcium deposits in the arteries of
   the heart. It is available at our Calumet City Family Care
   Center. Call 708-730-1300 to schedule an appointment.

• Cardiovascular surgeons: The cardiovascular surgeons on
   staff at Ingalls are members of Cardiac Surgery Associates,
   a group that performs nearly 3500 open heart surgeries a
   year.

Maximizing your recovery
Ingalls offers three phases of cardiac rehabilitation to help you return to good health:

• Phase I begins while heart patients are still in the
   hospital and includes education about physical activity
   and symptoms that require medical attention.

• Phase II is a medically supervised outpatient
   exercise program at the hospital.

• Phase III is conducted at the Homewood-Flossmoor
   Racquet and Fitness Club, with classes for anyone who
   has been diagnosed with a heart condition or anyone
   whose physician feels is at increased risk due to
   lifestyle or family history. An Ingalls cardiac fitness
   nurse or exercise physiologist is always on hand to
   lead exercises, take blood pressure readings and
   guide your workout.

read our patient success stories