Conditions

When the wall of a blood vessel or artery weakens, it may widen or balloon, creating an aneurysm.

In the heart, aneurysms most commonly occur in the aorta, the major artery. Abdominal aortic aneurysms involve the section of the aorta leading to the abdomen, pelvis and legs. Aneurysms also may develop in the aortic section that supplies the chest or thoracic area.  

Some patients with aneurysms experience no symptoms, while others may have pain or  discomfort. Regular medical monitoring of an aneurysm is important to avoid dangers from tearing (aortic dissection) or bleeding.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Depending upon the severity of the condition, aneurysms may be treated with minimally invasive procedures or surgical repair.

Read an aneurysm patient’s story about how Abington professionals helped when he suffered an aortic dissection that required emergency treatment.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating aneurysms, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center, including the Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease and Blank Vascular Center.

Blood flow from the heart is reduced if the aortic valve narrows, stiffens or does not open completely. This aortic stenosis makes the heart pump harder to push blood through the affected valve. Aortic valve stenosis may cause chest pains, breathlessness or weakness. There may be no symptoms until the later stages of disease. Stenosis also may occur in the mitral, pulmonary or tricuspid heart valves. Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. When indicated, valve surgery may be needed for the narrowing of the aortic valve or other stenotic condition. Valve repair or replacement will restore healthy blood flow. Aortic valve bypass is available for patients whose previous cardiac surgeries may make them high-risk for valve surgery. At the Pilla Heart Center, every effort is made to conduct surgery using minimally invasive procedures. Read an aortic valve stenosis patient’s story to learn about finding answers to important questions before surgery. For expertise on diagnosing and treating aortic valve stenosis, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease.

Bleeding into the aortic wall from a tear or trauma is a potentially life-threatening condition. This aortic dissection or tear may arise from an aneurysm, injury, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) or other cause. Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Some aortic tears may be treated with medication while others require surgery. Read an aortic tear patient’s story about how Abington professionals helped when he suffered an aortic dissection that required emergency treatment. For expertise on diagnosing and treating aortic dissection, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease.

Electrical impulses regulate the contractions that control how the heart pumps blood. If those impulses don’t function correctly, they can cause arrhythmias such as irregular heartbeat, a racing or fluttering heart rate (atrial fibrillation), skipping heartbeat or other heart rhythm disorders.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Arrhythmias are best diagnosed with up-to-date electrophysiology techniques to determine what’s causing the abnormal rhythm.

Atrial fibrillation may be treated and cured through minimally invasive procedures including pulmonary vein isolation, radiofrequency ablation and ganglion mapping. MAZE surgery uses tiny incisions and a videoscopic camera to cure atrial fibrillation. Some arrhythmia patients may receive implanted devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators to help regulate the heart’s beating action.

Read an atrial fibrillation patient’s story about how the team at the Heart Rhythm Center used minimally invasive heart surgery techniques to successfully restore normal heart rate.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Heart Rhythm Center.

A weakened heart muscle reduces the heart’s ability to pump efficiently and may result in an enlarged heart. This occurs in dilated cardiomyopathy, a common form of cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs when a thickened heart muscle forces the heart to work harder. In restrictive cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle stiffens and loses function. Ischemic cardiomyopathy produces reduced heart pumping, usually due to coronary artery disease.

Cardiomyopathy arises from prolonged atrial fibrillation, genetics and other sources. The condition may be identified when patients are being evaluated for symptoms of congestive heart failure.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Patients with cardiomyopathy may receive treatments for their underlying conditions or for heart failure.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating all types of cardiomyopathy, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center, including the Comprehensive Heart Failure Program and Heart Rhythm Center.

The carotid arteries supply blood to the brain. These important arteries can become narrowed or blocked from a build-up of fatty plaque deposits, resulting in carotid artery disease, or CAD. This build-up is similar to what happens in atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

Carotid artery disease restricts blood flow and may cause a blood clot to form. It also can lead to a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA or “mini-stroke”).

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Lifestyle changes or medication may improve carotid artery disease. Up-to-date treatments include carotid artery surgery to remove the blockage surgically or use stents to open the blocked artery.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating CAD, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Blank Vascular Center.

Several heart conditions can produce chest pain. Angina is chest pain that feels like squeezing, pressure or tightness and may radiate to other parts of the body. Sudden or severe pain may be caused by an aortic dissection or tear, or a heart attack.

Call 911 for emergency help if chest pain comes on suddenly, spreads or is accompanied by breathing problems, rapid heart rate, nausea or other side effects. All chest pain occurrences should be discussed with a physician.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. With chest pain, using the latest evaluation methods helps determine the cause more precisely. That enables up-to-date and appropriate treatment to be given speedily. 

Read a chest pain patient’s story about how a call to 911 and quick action by the Abington team led to successful treatment of a massive heart attack.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating chest pain, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center.

Heart problems fall into two broad categories: those that are acquired from lifestyle, aging or disease and those problems one is born with, called congenital. Most congenital heart conditions are structural problems. These are often repaired in childhood.

Congenital heart abnormalities that weren’t diagnosed in childhood or did not require correction when the patient was young may cause concern in adulthood.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. For adult congenital heart disease, treatments include minimally invasive procedures and surgeries to achieve congenital structural heart repair.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating adult congenital heart disease, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease.

Good cardiac function depends upon the heart’s ability to fill with blood easily and then pump that blood out. This process distributes oxygen throughout the body and maintains health. 

If the heart cannot fill or pump correctly, congestive heart failure, often simply called heart failure, occurs. Generally, this condition develops over a period of time.

An affected heart gradually becomes weaker, or fails, but does not stop. As this process happens and heart function worsens, fluid may build up in the lungs and throughout the body. This congestion is why the condition is called congestive heart failure.

CHF may be caused by coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart attack, arrhythmia or other heart problems.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. For those affected by congestive heart failure, lifestyle changes, medication, surgical procedures and implanted devices such as pacemakers and cardioverter  defibrillators may be used to treat and control their condition. Close monitoring is important.

A special heart pump, called a ventricular assist device, or VAD, may be recommended for certain heart failure patients. Our specialists have expertise in the surgical implantation and monitoring of VADs, also known as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).

Read a congestive heart failure patient’s story about receiving an advanced treatment technique through Abington’s Comprehensive Heart Failure Program.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating congestive heart failure, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Comprehensive Heart Failure Program.

Blood vessels supply oxygen and blood to the heart. If these vessels become narrowed or blocked, the result is coronary artery disease or CAD (also called coronary heart disease, or CHD).

Coronary artery disease, if left untreated, may damage the heart itself and lead to heart attack. That’s why coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death among both women and men in the U.S.

This cardiac condition may be caused by atherosclerosis, a build-up of fatty plaque deposits inside the artery walls. Symptoms include chest pain, breathlessness or fatigue.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Depending upon the severity of the coronary artery disease, treatments include medications, angioplasty with stenting and coronary artery bypass surgery, which usually involves a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) to go around the blocked area.  

Read a coronary artery disease patient’s story about exceptional care received from Abington emergency and cardiac surgery teams.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Cardiothoracic Surgery.

The formation of a blood clot deep inside the thigh or leg may prevent blood flow or cause pain, swelling, redness or warmth in the leg. This condition, called deep vein thrombosis or DVT, happens most often in larger veins.

A deep vein blood clot formed by deep vein thrombosis has the potential to break loose and cause damage elsewhere in the body. Because of this, the condition can be potentially life-threatening.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. DVT may be treated with medications, compression therapy and, in a few cases, surgery.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating deep vein thrombosis or DVT, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Blank Vascular Center.

Several cardiac conditions may produce an enlarged heart. In dilated cardiomyopathy, a weak heart muscle reduces the heart’s ability to pump efficiently. As it pumps harder to make up for lessened blood flow, the muscle thickens and the heart becomes larger. Other types of cardiomyopathy also may lead to an enlarged heart.

Aortic stenosis narrows the passage for blood flow through the aortic valve. This can produce an enlarged heart, as can congestive heart failure and heart attack.

An enlarged heart may cause a serious arrhythmia.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Therapies for enlarged heart center on the underlying condition and may include medications, cardiac surgery, heart valve repair or replacement and implantable devices such as pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating an enlarged heart, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center, including the Comprehensive Heart Failure Program, Heart Rhythm Center and Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease.

Fat and cholesterol may build up on artery walls. These deposits form hard plaque that stiffens and narrows the walls, causing atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. This condition also is called arteriosclerosis.

Heart attack or stroke may occur when pieces of the built-up plaque break off and block blood vessels. In addition, atherosclerosis may cause blood clots, which can limit blood flow and damage the heart, lungs or brain.

Hardening of the arteries may result from an aneurysm, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure or other causes.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. When hardening of the arteries is a concern, monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure levels, making lifestyle changes and taking medications may help. Depending upon the underlying condition, several types of surgeries can treat atherosclerosis.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating hardening of the arteries, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center, including the Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease and Blank Vascular Center.

Blood must flow freely into the heart to nourish cells with oxygen. If blood can’t get through because of blockage from a clot or other substance, a heart attack can happen.

Heart attack, also called myocardial infarction or MI, may result from hardening of the arteries, coronary artery disease, other medical conditions or, much less often, severe stress.

Symptoms of heart attack include nausea, sweating, chest pain, weakness or feeling faint with exertion, among others. Call 911 immediately for emergency help when signs indicate a possible heart attack. This Heart Alert health tool  explains more about what to know and do in a heart attack emergency.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. For emergency heart attacks, care begins at Abington’s rooftop helipad or ground floor Emergency Trauma Center.

Testing, treatment and cardiac care units are designed for immediate access and swift transport through all areas. Four cardiac catheterization suites are equipped with the highest quality, most up-to-date technology. This enables Abington to rank above the national average in emergency “door to balloon” time for coronary angioplasty and stenting.

Other leading-edge heart attack interventions include coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), hypothermic cardiac arrest therapy and ventricular remodeling.

Read a story about two heart attack patients who were also good friends, treated within hours of each other by the same Abington cardiothoracic surgeon.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating heart attack, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center, including the Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease, Blank Vascular Center and Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Heart disease includes many cardiac conditions. Some people are born with congenital defects that create heart disease, while others develop it from lifestyle, age, illness, trauma, chemotherapy or other factors.

Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease. Other types of heart disease include faulty heart valves, irregular heartbeat and heart failure.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Appropriate therapies are determined based upon the heart disease condition and its severity. When possible, minimally invasive procedures are used.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating heart disease, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center including the Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease, Blank Vascular Center, Heart Rhythm Center,  Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Comprehensive Heart Failure Program.

Good cardiac function depends upon the heart’s ability to fill with blood easily and then pump that blood out. This process distributes oxygen throughout the body and maintains health. 

If the heart cannot fill or pump correctly, heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, occurs. Generally, this condition develops over a period of time.

An affected heart gradually becomes weaker, or fails, but does not stop. As this process happens and heart function worsens, fluid may build up in the lungs and throughout the body. This congestion is why the condition often is referred to as congestive heart failure.

Heart failure may be caused by coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, heart attack, arrhythmia or other heart problems.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. For those affected by heart failure, lifestyle changes, medication, surgical procedures and implanted devices such as pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators may be used to treat and control their condition. Close monitoring is important.

A special heart pump, called a ventricular assist device, or VAD, may be recommended for certain heart failure patients. Our specialists have expertise in the surgical implantation and monitoring of VADs, also known as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).

Read a heart failure patient’s story about receiving an advanced treatment technique through Abington’s Comprehensive Heart Failure Program.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating heart failure, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Comprehensive Heart Failure Program.

Electrical impulses regulate the contractions that control how the heart pumps blood. If  those impulses don’t function correctly, they can cause arrhythmias such as irregular heartbeat, a racing or fluttering heart rate (atrial fibrillation), skipping heartbeat or other heart rhythm disorders.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Arrhythmias are best diagnosed with up-to-date electrophysiology techniques to determine what’s causing the abnormal rhythm.

Irregular heartbeat may be treated and cured through minimally invasive procedures including pulmonary vein isolation, radiofrequency ablation and ganglion mapping. Some arrhythmia patients may receive implanted devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators to help regulate the heart’s beating action.

Read an irregular heartbeat patient’s story about how the Heart Rhythm Center team used minimally invasive heart surgery techniques to successfully restore normal heart rate.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating irregular heartbeat or other arrhythmias, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Heart Rhythm Center.

A heart valve that doesn’t close all the way may cause blood to leak into another heart chamber. This leaky valve or regurgitation condition produces insufficient blood flow for the heart to work properly. As a result, the heart must pump harder. Regurgitation worsens over time and can cause heart failure or other cardiac problems.

Such blood flow leakage happens most often in the mitral valve, yet may occur in the heart’s aortic, pulmonary or tricuspid valves. Mitral regurgitation is the most common mitral valve dysfunction. It may result from a heart attack, disease or mitral valve prolapse, a structural problem.  

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Although replacing the leaky valve used to be the preferred therapy for severe mitral regurgitation, valve repair is now recommended and achieved through minimally invasive procedures.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating leaky valve or mitral regurgitation, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease.

In some people, the valve controlling blood flow on the left side of the heart does not close properly. Often this mitral valve prolapse is only a minor problem, causing few or no symptoms.

However, in severe cases, mitral valve prolapse or floppy mitral valve syndrome may let blood leak out of one heart chamber into another. This leaking, called leaky valve or mitral regurgitation, can become progressively worse.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Tests using the most up-to-date equipment and techniques evaluate the extent of mitral valve prolapse and its effect on heart health. If the condition is causing leaky valve or mitral regurgitation, minimally invasive valve repair has an excellent success rate.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating mitral valve prolapse, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease.

Blood must flow freely into the heart to nourish cells with oxygen. If blood can’t get through because of blockage from a clot or other substance, a heart attack, also called myocardial infarction or MI can happen.

Myocardial infarction may result from hardening of the arteries, coronary artery disease, other medical conditions or, much less often, severe stress.

Symptoms of MI or heart attack include nausea, sweating, chest pain, weakness or feeling faint with exertion, among others. Call 911 immediately for emergency help when signs indicate a possible heart attack. This Heart Alert health tool explains more about what to know and do in a heart attack emergency.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. For emergency heart attacks, care begins at Abington’s rooftop helipad or ground floor Emergency Trauma Center.

Testing, treatment and cardiac care units are designed for immediate access and swift transport through all areas. Four cardiac catheterization suites are equipped with the highest quality, most up-to-date technology. This enables Abington to rank above the national average in emergency “door to balloon” time for coronary angioplasty and stenting.

Other leading-edge heart attack interventions include coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and  ventricular remodeling.

Read a shared story about two MI patients, who were also good friends, treated within hours of each other by the same Abington cardiothoracic surgeon.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating myocardial infarction, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center, including the Porter Institute for Valvular Heart Disease, Blank Vascular Center and Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Fatty deposits may build up in the arteries of the legs and feet, causing those blood vessels to narrow or harden. This common condition, known as peripheral artery disease (PAD) or peripheral vascular disease (PVD), decreases blood flow.

Symptoms of peripheral artery disease, such as pain, weakness or burning, may appear during exertion and lessen with rest. These discomforts may be felt in the feet, legs or thighs. Left untreated, the condition increases risk for stroke or heart attack.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. PAD may be diagnosed by Doppler ultrasound and angiography. Therapies for peripheral artery disease include medications for less severe conditions and minimally invasive procedures for more  progressed problems. Blockage may be relieved by angioplasty with stent placement to maintain open arteries.

Vascular bypass surgery is used to treat more severe conditions. This surgical procedure re-routes blood flow around the blockage in the artery by means of a graft.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating peripheral artery disease or peripheral vascular disease, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Blank Vascular Center.

Varicose veins, spider veins and venous insufficiency are among the vein conditions that may be effectively evaluated and treated. Larger varicose veins can cause discomfort, swelling and painful phlebitis. Chronic insufficiency arises when the valves in deep veins are damaged, which leads to leg swelling. Spider veins, usually near the skin’s surface, are small and harmless.

Cardiovascular patients at Abington Memorial Hospital benefit from advanced technology for diagnostics and treatment. Doppler ultrasound and special imaging techniques define vein problems. Lifestyle adjustments such as elevating the legs, daily activity and compression therapy may help. Outpatient treatments and minimally invasive procedures may seal off or remove damaged veins and restore blood flow.

Lymphedema occurs when fluid does not drain properly from the lymphatic system and causes sometimes severe swelling. It may arise from vein harvest for heart surgery, lymph node removal for biopsy, radiation damage to the lymphatic system during cancer treatment or other injury. Compression therapy and pumps, as well as lifestyle suggestions, may be helpful.

For expertise on diagnosing and treating vein conditions, contact the specialists at Abington’s Pilla Heart Center and Blank Vascular Center.