SVMC cardiology

 

 

STRIVING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE ONE BEAT AT A TIME

You get one life and you get one heart. The board-certified cardiologists and associated practitioners at SVMC Cardiology are committed to helping you make the most of both.

Our patient-centered approach to care and personalized care plans maximize your quality of life while delivering the treatment you need when you need it.

Creating the appropriate treatment plan for your condition begins with a cardiac consultation. Your consultation is a chance for you to share your health history and current concerns with your cardiologist. All necessary exams and tests are conducted on-site by your cardiac care team. The results are shared and discussed directly with you so that you fully understand your condition, treatment options, associated risks, and potential lifestyle changes.

After a heart episode or surgery, there’s nothing our cardiac team and you want more than for you to just get back on your feet and live the life you want. That’s why we begin your rehabilitation program before you even leave the hospital. Through a combination of education and exercise, your personalized program will help you build strength and reduce your risk factors. Using the full range of cardio equipment in our Cardiac Rehab Center and under the watchful eye of our rehab team, you’ll improve your heart’s strength and capacity and get closer to resuming a full and active lifestyle. For more information about Cardiac Rehabilitation, click here.

In order to understand how well your heart is or isn’t functioning, an echocardiogram may be performed. This non-invasive procedure uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. Both of SVMC’s cardiologists are board certified in echocardiography and able to observe how your heart is pumping and identify any abnormalities in the heart muscle or valves. An echocardiogram allows our team to make the most informed and appropriate recommendations for the next steps in your care.

If a standard echocardiogram does not provide a clear image of your heart, your SVMC care team may recommend a transesophageal echocardiogram or TEE. Performed at the hospital, this procedure involves inserting a flexible tube containing a transducer down your throat and into your esophagus. From this closer vantage point, the transducer then uses sound waves to create more detailed images of your heart and allows for better diagnosis.

Before we treat your heart, we need understand how it’s performing. At SVMC we offer a number of non-invasive stress tests that can quickly and easily reveal a number of things including: how well your heart works during increasing levels of activity; how certain medications are impacting blood flow; the effectiveness of procedures done to improve heart performance; and more.

If you have risk factors for heart disease, calcium scoring may may help you learn more about whether you are actually at risk. The non-invasive test uses high-speed CT imaging technology to measure the hardening of the heart’s arteries, a leading indicator of heart disease and heart attacks. Visit the calcium scoring page for complete details. 

A pacemaker is one of the most effective ways to ensure a heart maintains a steady, healthy beat. The SVMC cardiac team is exceptionally skilled and experienced at both pacemaker implantation and monitoring. Considered a minor surgery, implantation takes place at the hospital with most patients returning to normal activity (and a more steadily beating heart) within a few days. Like all medical equipment, pacemakers need a little TLC every now and then. At SVMC our cardiac team can perform routine monitoring, both remotely and in the office, and reprogramming as needed.

One of the most common cardiac diagnostic tools, an EKG is a painless way to check for problems with the electrical activity of your heart. The EKG translates and records your heart’s electrical activity over a period of time and translates it into waves. Your SVMC care provider can use printouts of the waves to detect any patterns that might point to a specific condition and put together a treatment plan that meets your specific needs.

Should your SVMC cardiac care provider want to monitor your heart over a longer period of time than is practical for a standard EKG, you may be given a Holter or event monitor. Worn outside the body and completely painless, monitors are helpful in detecting abnormalities that only happen occasionally and can help your doctor link any abnormalities to specific activities or events in your day.

Carotid ultrasound
At SVMC our goal is to treat your health issues before they become problems. Using our sophisticated carotid ultrasound test, your cardiac care provider can detect blockages in your neck arteries that could lead to a stroke or indicate problems in other parts or your circulatory system.

Education
Because understanding what causes heart problems is essential to resolving them, we offer a variety of educational resources to patients and their families.  Workshops are offered on an ongoing basis throughout the Dartmouth-Hitchcock network, and condition-specific literature is available in our offices. 

140 Hospital Drive, Suite 211, Bennington, VT 05201
Phone: (802) 442-0800
Fax: (833) 343-1597

Hours:
Monday – Friday:  8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Directions: 
For directions to SVMC Cardiology, click here. 

Parking:
For appointments at SVMC Cardiology, park in parking area P3 or P5.

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    Five Ways to Prevent Gout
    Anonym
    / Categories: WELLNESS, 2018

    Five Ways to Prevent Gout

    Did you know that Podagra was the name of an ill-tempered mythological virgin torturer of feet? Not coincidentally, it is also the name for the most common type of gout, which affects the big toe.  Back in the 13th century, people used to think that gout was caused by a “drop of bad humor” in an inflamed joint. (In fact, the term “gout” is derived from the Latin “gutta,” which means to “drop.”) Later, gout was called the "disease of kings," because it afflicted those who ate a diet of rich foods. Since then, doctors have discovered the actual causes of gout.

    Gout, a painful, red, and inflamed joint, is a type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid crystals build up in the affected area. It is most common among people with a family history, especially men. The risk of getting gout increases with age, obesity, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.

    The condition affects about 8.3 million people, or 4 percent of the U.S. population, each year. It can be painful and even debilitating, especially if risk factors go unchecked. The good news is that science has uncovered a few ways you can prevent gout and, at the same time, decrease your risk for other health problems.

    Number 1: If you have had a gout attack, start by avoiding high-purine foods. These include scallops, mussels, and other seafood, like herring, codfish, and haddock. Venison, veal, turkey, bacon, liver, and other organ meats also have a lot of purines.

    While some of these foods are considered healthy and are highly recommended for those following a heart healthy Mediterranean diet, for instance, they should be limited among those who have had a gout attack.

    Number 2: Moderate alcohol consumption. Alcohol decreases the kidneys’ ability to filter uric acid. In addition, beer, for instance, is a high purine food. In that way, it is a double threat for those at risk of a gout attack. By limiting alcohol, you decrease your risk of many other health problems associated with it.

    Number 3: Make healthy choices—like avoiding soda and other foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup; sugar, even naturally sweet juices; and salt—can help people maintain their weight and avoid obesity, a gout risk factor. Often found in processed food items, high fructose corn syrup is, itself, a culprit in raising uric acid levels and increasing gout risk. So, the positive impact of avoiding high-fructose corn syrup is multiplied. 

    Number 4: Instead, drink plenty of water, especially in warm weather. Dehydration is a major risk factor for a gout attack. Staying hydrated literally decreases the concentration of purine in your blood. It will help you avoid painful kidney stones and provide a boost to your energy level, as well.

    Number 5: Finally, wear proper-fitting shoes. Rubbing, pinching, or other trauma to the toes can actually cause gout flares among susceptible people.

    Most who follow these tips will find they are less likely to get this painful condition. If gout strikes, see your primary care provider. In addition to food and lifestyle adjustments, your doctor can recommend therapies or medications or a referral to a rheumatologist to help you get your gout under control.

    Matthew Stanishewski, DO, is a specialist in rheumatology at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. “Health Matters” is a column meant to educate readers about their personal health, public health matters, and public policy as it affects health care. For this article and others like it, visit svhealthcare.org/wellnessconnection.

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