Office Based Services

Cardiology Services/In Office performed by Advanced Cardiac Healthcare, P.L.C.

Amiodarone Clinic

Amiodarone management is an important aspect of cardiac care in any patient who is taking the medication known as Amiodarone, Cordarone, or Pacerone. This medication is used in the treatment of arrhythmias. The clinic tracks the patient’s blood work, chest x-ray, and pulmonary function test. The clinic is available for any questions the patient may have. Patients are automatically enrolled once the medication is prescribed and will be tracked until the patient no longer uses this medication.

Ankle Brachial Index Resting

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctors with a knowledge base on blood flow in a patient’s lower extremities. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate symptoms of tingling in legs, pain in legs when walking, unhealed wounds on legs and/or history of heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, or current smoker to see if they correlate with possible blockage in the extremities

An ABI test is a comparison of blood pressures in the upper and lower extremities while sitting. The test will take approximately 30 minutes.

Ankle Brachial Index Stress

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctors with a knowledge base on how a person’s blood flow in the lower extremities respond to physical stress. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate if there is a decrease in blood flow in your lower extremities

A stress ABI test is a comparison of blood pressures in the upper and lower extremities (both arms and legs) at rest (while sitting in a chair) and immediately after stress (after walking). Stress ABI will take approximately thirty to sixty minutes.

Cholesterol Clinic

Cholesterol management is an important aspect of risk reduction in the patient who has coronary artery disease and/or high cholesterol. We at Advanced Cardiac Healthcare, P.L.C. know the importance of following and managing cholesterol care and have developed a clinic to continuously monitor your cholesterol. You will be enrolled by one of our physicians and asked to have your cholesterol levels and various labs checked periodically. We will contact you via mail or by phone regarding your levels each time they are drawn. Medication changes may be made if necessary based on your labs. Our lipid clinic may discuss with you risk factors and modifiable ways to achieve health benefits.

Coumadin Clinic

Coumadin management is an important aspect of risk reduction in the patient who has been prescribed this medication. We at Advanced Cardiac Healthcare, P.L.C. know the importance of following and managing your coumadin care and have developed a clinic to continuously monitor your PT/INR levels while you are taking this medication. You will be enrolled by one of our physicians and asked to have your coumadin levels checked periodically. We will contact you via phone within 24 hours of lab work each time labs are completed. Coumadin dose changes may be made if necessary based on your labs. Our coumadin clinic will track your levels until this medication is no longer prescribed.

Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctors with a knowledge base on how a heart responds to physical stress, while adding ultrasound to see wall motion. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate possible cause of chest pain
To evaluate for possible blockages in the arteries of the heart

Ultrasound pictures are taken at rest and then immediately after an age determined heart rate is reached by using a medication called Dobutamine. Dobutamine is a medication given to people who are unable to walk on a treadmill. Dobutamine mimics exercise and increases the heart rate. The test will take approximately one hour.

Echocardiogram

Is a diagnostic tool that uses frequency waves, also know as ultrasound, to view your hearts motion, structure and size. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate your hearts pumping ability
To evaluate for structural abnormalities in the valves or chambers
To evaluate for any congenital defects
To evaluate for any excess fluid build up around your heart
To evaluate for heart murmurs

A person should anticipate the test to take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

Electrocardiogram

A graphic record produced by an electrocardiograph, a device for recording electrical conduction through the heart.

Event Monitor

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctors with a knowledge base of your heart’s rhythm when associated with symptoms. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate symptoms that happen on an inconsistent basis (fast heart rates, palpitations, discomforts, lightheadedness, shortness of breath) to see if they correlate with any heart arrhythmias.

The event recorder is a battery operated device that allows patients to manually record an EKG by pressing a button to correlate to any symptoms they may be having. The event recorder is ordered in week increments. The patient is given enough electrodes so that they can shower whenever they want.

Exercise Consultations

Exercise consultations will be performed by an exercise specialist located in Advanced Cardiac Healthcare, P.L.C. Patients will be referred to a specialist by a cardiologist. Discussion will be focused on exercise and the benefit it plays in your cardiovascular health.

Holter Monitor

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctors with a knowledge base of your heart’s rhythm. This test is administered for the following reason:

To evaluate the heart’s rhythm over a 24 or 48 hour period, also used to correlate any symptoms the patient may be having to their heart rhythm
The holter monitor is a small battery operated device that records your heart rhythm. The holter monitors are ordered for either 24 or 48 hours intervals.

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Check/Pacemaker Check

At Advanced Cardiac Healthcare, P.L.C. we have trained staff available Monday through Friday to evaluate and check your pacemaker or ICD device. Follow up visits are necessary to see how well your device is working for your heart. At these visits we check the settings and the level of the battery. The nurse will use a programmer, a device that can “talk” to your pacemaker or ICD, to make sure everything is working properly. Follow up is typically every three to six months depending on your diagnosis.

Nutrition Consultations

Nutrition consultations will be performed by an exercise specialist located in Advanced Cardiac Healthcare P.L.C. Patients will be referred to a specialist by a cardiologist. Discussion will focus on nutritional guidelines based on your specific diagnosis. If you prefer to see a registered dietician we would be happy to refer you to a certified registered dietician located in Bronson Methodist Hospital or Borgess Medical Center.

Treadmill Cardiolite, Adenosine/Dobutamine Cardiolite

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctor’s with a knowledge base on how a person’s heart responds to physical or pharmacological (medication) stress. A stress test with Cardiolite (this is a radioactive material that is safely cleared from your body by natural processes and has radiation exposure similar to a routine chest x-ray) consists of taking pictures of your heart in two phases, while resting and after stress. An I.V. will be necessary for this test so that our certified nuclear medicine technologist will be able to administer the cardiolite through this site. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate possible cause of chest pain
To evaluate possible cause of abnormal EKG
To evaluate for possible blockages in the arteries of the heart
To determine if cardiac medications are effective in a person’s treatment plan
To establish a person’s cardiac baseline prior to any surgery or cardiac treatment
To evaluate a person’s cardiac status after heart surgery or heart attack

If you are unable to exercise on the treadmill, your doctor may decide to use a medication called Adenosine or Dobutamine to simulate the effects of exercise. A person should anticipate the test to take approximately three hours, the actual time on the treadmill varies form person to person with a minimum time being five minutes.

Treadmill Stress Echocardiogram

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctor’s with a knowledge base on how a person’s heart responds to physical stress while utilizing images of the heart with ultrasound, to view your hearts motion, size and structure. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate possible cause of chest pain
To evaluate for possible blockages in the arteries of the heart by looking at wall motion and thickness of the heart
To evaluate for possible valvular problems
To evaluate for fluid build up around the heart
To evaluate exercise functional status
To determine if cardiac medications are effective in a person’s treatment plan
To evaluate a person’s cardiac status after heart surgery, valve surgery or heart attack

A person should anticipate the test to take approximately one hour, the actual time on the treadmill varies from person to person with a minimum time being 5 minutes.

Treadmill Stress Test

Is a diagnostic tool that will provide doctor’s with a knowledge base on how a person’s heart responds to physical stress. This test is administered for the following reasons:

To evaluate possible cause of chest pain
To evaluate for possible blockages in the arteries of the heart
To establish an appropriate exercise program
To determine if cardiac medications are effective in a person’s treatment plan
To establish a person’s cardiac baseline prior to any cardiac treatment
To evaluate a person’s cardiac status after heart surgery or heart attack