CARDIOLOGY

When it comes to your heart, you deserve the best. Sanford Health’s experienced heart Cardiology providers offer outreach services to Perham Health Clinic.

Cardiologists are specialists who work directly with you if you need special heart-related care or have had heart-related conditions in the past.

Your provider may refer you to a cardiologist if you have symptoms of heart disease or have a family history of heart disease. Together, we work to diagnose and treat diseases of the heart, including:

High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Heart attack
Heart failure
Coronary artery disease
Arrhythmia

Beyond life-saving screenings and treatments, we provide support and rehabilitations for your lifelong heart health. We offer therapies, monitored exercise, medication management, and more.

Outpatient Heart and Vascular Services

These tests and monitoring methods are essential tools in diagnosing and managing various cardiac conditions and ensuring the overall health of the heart. The specific test or monitor chosen depends on the patient’s symptoms and medical history.

Stress Test:

A stress test, also known as an exercise stress test or treadmill test, is a diagnostic procedure used to evaluate how well your heart functions during physical activity.
During a stress test, you will typically walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bicycle while your heart rate, blood pressure, and ECG (electrocardiogram) are monitored.
The test helps healthcare providers assess the heart’s response to increased workload and detect abnormalities, such as reduced blood flow to the heart muscles, which may indicate coronary artery disease or other heart conditions.

Functional Stress Test:

A functional stress test is a broader term that can include various tests evaluating the body’s function during stress or exercise, not just the heart.
It can encompass tests such as cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), which assesses heart and lung function during exercise, or tests for different organ systems’ performance under stress conditions, like the stress test used to evaluate the heart.

Stress Echocardiogram:

A stress echocardiogram is a specialized type of stress test that combines echocardiography (ultrasound imaging of the heart) with exercise or pharmacological stress.
It is primarily used to assess the heart’s structure, function, and blood flow under stress conditions.
A stress echocardiogram can help diagnose conditions like coronary artery disease and evaluate the heart’s response to exercise or medication-induced stress.

Nuclear Test:

A nuclear stress test, also called myocardial perfusion imaging or a nuclear scan, is a diagnostic test used to assess blood flow to the heart muscle.
It involves the injection of a small amount of radioactive material (usually a radioactive isotope) into the bloodstream.
Special cameras (gamma cameras) are then used to take images of the heart at rest and during stress (either through exercise or medication-induced stress). These images show how well blood is flowing to the heart muscle and can help detect areas with reduced blood flow, often indicating coronary artery disease.

Echocardiogram (ECHO):

An echocardiogram, commonly referred to as an ECHO, is a non-invasive ultrasound test used to visualize and assess the structure and function of the heart.
It provides real-time images of the heart, including its chambers, valves, and the motion of its walls.
Echocardiograms are crucial for diagnosing heart conditions, such as heart valve abnormalities, heart muscle disorders, and congenital heart defects.

Placeholder and Event Monitors:

These are types of heart monitors used for long-term cardiac monitoring.
Event Monitor: It is a device worn by the patient that can be activated by the patient when they experience symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, or dizziness. It records the heart’s electrical activity for a brief period when the patient initiates it.
Holter Monitor: A Holter monitor, or a continuous ECG monitor, records the heart’s electrical activity continuously for 24 to 48 hours. It’s useful for diagnosing irregular heart rhythms that may not be captured during a short ECG.
Implantable Loop Recorder (ILR): This is a small device implanted under the skin to monitor the heart’s electrical activity for an extended period, often up to three years. It’s typically used to diagnose infrequent or unexplained symptoms.