Fort Sanders Regional Cardiology Services:
Leaders in Heart Care
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center offers a complete continuum of heart care, from prevention efforts (including education, exercise, diet and stress management programs) to early detection (through health fairs, cholesterol screenings and blood pressure checks) to diagnosis, treatment, surgery and rehabilitation using the most complete -- and advanced -- range of technologies and healing protocols available in East Tennessee.
Cardiovascular Disease (Back to top)
Heart attack
A total blockage of a heart artery, which cuts off the blood supply (and, therefore, oxygen to the heart). During a heart attack a part of the heart muscle actually begins to die because of the lack of oxygen. Signs of a heart attack include crushing or squeezing chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes; pain in the arms, neck, back, or jaw; shortness of breath; dizziness; irregular heartbeat; nausea or vomiting.
Congestive heart failure
A condition in which the heart doesn’t pump enough blood. Blood may back up in the veins swelling the feet, ankles and legs or fluid may build up in the lungs, causing pulmonary congestion.
Angina
The chest pain that occurs when the heart doesn’t get as much blood and oxygen as it needs because the heart arteries are blocked. Angina may be accompanied by tightness, burning or squeezing in the chest; difficulty breathing; pain that spreads to the arm, neck, jaw or back; numbness in the shoulders, arms or wrists; nausea, vomiting or a clammy sensation.
Atrial fibrillation
An irregular heartbeat caused by a malfunction inn the sinus node, the heart’s natural pacemaker.
Atherosclerosis
A buildup up fatty substances on the inner walls of blood vessels which cause narrowing or blockage which can restrict or stop blood flow.
Coronary artery disease
Atherosclerosis of the arteries which carry blood to the heart muscle. This is a major risk factor of heart attacks.
Coronary thrombosis
Blood clots which form on the fatty walls of heart arteries and cut off the blood supply to the heart muscle. A major risk factor in heart attacks.
Hypertension
High blood pressure. This excess pressure weakens artery walls and decreases their elasticity, forcing the heart to pump harder.
Aneurysm
A balloon-like swelling of a weak spot in a vein or artery.
Diagnosis and Treatment (Back to top)
Diagnosis
Today’s most effective diagnostic tools include a wide range of techniques from taking thorough patient history and performing a physical exam to electrocardiograms, treadmill tests, electrophysiology studies and angiograms to advanced new techniques like intravascular ultrasound.
Treatment types
There are four main categories of heart treatment. The approach used depends mainly on the severity of the disease.
Slight problem
Minor heart disease can often be treated with lifestyle changes that reduce the risk factor. Stopping smoking, exercise, eating a low-fat diet, losing weight, reducing high blood pressure, minimizing stress and regular medical checkups may be all that are required.
Mild problem
Mild problems can often be treated with medication. Aspirin may be used to prevent clotting and reduce the risk of heart attack. Nitrates may be used to dilate blood vessels and increase the flow of blood to the heart. Calcium channel blockers may be prescribed to relax the blood vessel walls and relieve symptoms of angina. Beta blockers can reduce the amount of work the heart must do and the amount of oxygen it needs.
Partial blockage
This condition is a serious risk for heart attacks. It is usually treated non-surgically, with one of the three types of catheter treatment (the device is inserted through an artery in the leg): angioplasty, which opens the blocked artery with a balloon-type catheter; a stent, which is a mesh tube which holds the artery open; or rotablator treatment, in which the blockage is emulsified.
Severe blockage
Severe blockage usually requires bypass surgery, in which a blood vessel from another part of the body is attached to the heart to allow blood to flow around the blocked section of coronary artery. The latest advance in this field is the new beating heart by pass.
Repairing Hearts, Restoring Lives (Back to top)
Fort Sanders Regional doesn’t simply repair hearts. We have one of the area’s largest and most advanced rehabilitation facilities to help patients get back to their normal lives after treatment.
The Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Program located at Fort Sanders West tailors individualized programs to help patients begin and maintain healthy lifestyles when they are at risk of heart disease or after treatment for heart attacks or other heart ailments.
Individual exercise and diet programs, classes and counseling help patients-and, frequently, their families-make adjustments needed to help hearts heal and stay healthy.
Rehabilitation programs are implemented and monitored by cardiac nurses, exercise physiologists, clinical pharmacists, licensed counselors and rehabilitation dietitians in consultation with the patient’s physician.
We have an unmatched team and unsurpassed facilities to help heart patients get back to their lives-and live them as fully as possible-after treatment. For more information about our program or to visit, call (865) 531-5560
More Heart Help (Back to top)
Fort Sanders understands the need for heart patients and their families to feel informed and involved in their care. That’s why we offer so many ways to educate you on what you can do to safeguard your heart health.
Fact sheets on hundreds of health topics are available by simply calling 673-FORT.
- Decrease your risk of heart disease
- Early warning of heart attack
- Eating for a healthy heart
- Exercise makes your heart stronger
- Heart attack-are you at risk?
- Heart transplant
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure and heart disease
- High blood pressure treatments
- Low cholesterol
- Overweight overloads your heart
Heart Health (Back to top)
There are seven keys to a healthy heart: eat less cholesterol, eat less saturated fat, maintain an ideal body weight, exercise regularly, don’t smoke, minimize stress and have regular checkups.
Stop smoking
If you smoke, quitting could be the most important single thing you can do to improve your heart’s health. Get help if you need to, but begin quitting immediately.
Diet right
To reduce blood cholesterol levels you need to reduce the amount of fat in your diet, as well as the cholesterol-heavy foods you eat. If you’re overweight, it’s also important to get down to your ideal weight and stay there. You may need to get help from your doctor or a dietitian.
- Cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams a day.
- Fat calories should be less than 30% of total calories consumed.
- Don’t eat more than 1 teaspoon of salt a day.
- Eat no more than 6 ounces of lean meat, fish or skinless poultry per day.
- Eat five servings of fruit and vegetables every day.
- Eat at least six servings of breads, cereals or grains per day.
- Drink alcohol only in moderation. One or two drinks a day may be beneficial, but more can be detrimental to your heart.
Get active
Do regular aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes three or four times a week. That can be running, swimming or brisk walking. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise routine.
Minimize stress
Stress can increase your chances of having a heart problem. If you think your reaction to stress may be unhealthy, do something about it. Start by checking with your doctor.
Know your family history
If your parents, grandparents or siblings have had early heart attacks, you may also be at risk. A tendency toward elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides or high blood pressure can run in the family.
Fort Sanders has many wellness classes, educational programs and materials to help you make healthy lifestyle changes.
- 50+ Fitness, fitness classes for individuals over the age of 50
- Get On Track With Missy Kane, walking program for all ages
- Stop Smoking Classes
- Heart Healthy Recipes
Call 673-FORT for information on any program, facility or service.
Leading Edge Cardiac Care (Back to top)
A wider range of treatments
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center offers literally every kind of heart treatment from bypass surgery to angioplasties and Rotablator treatments, which can clear blocked arteries without heart surgery to noninvasive techniques that restore heart function with radio waves and all currently recognized drug-based treatments. Because we have every treatment, the best treatment for any specific heart condition-and patient-is always immediately available.
Recognized leader in the field
Fort Sanders Regional is one of the few hospitals in the area elected to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, an organization of hospitals at the leading edge of health care. We were selected to pioneer the intravascular ultrasound imaging system, several new heart medicines, and every new stent introduced in the area over the last five years. Being chosen to participate in these advanced programs is recognition of our leadership role in heart care.
The most advanced techniques
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a leader in bringing new heart care advances to Knoxville. We’ve been first with every new improvement in stents (which open clogged heart arteries without bypass surgery) for the last five years. New intravascular ultrasound equipment let us "see" heart arteries with sound waves. Radiofrequency ablation corrects heart arrhythmias. New drugs open heart arteries that previously required surgery. New technologies that are major advances in bypass and heart valve surgery. And we’ve got them all.
Ask your doctor or call 673-FORT
Naturally you should turn to your own doctor with any questions about heart care. If you don’t have a doctor or you need a referral to a specialists, please call 673-FORT. We’ll give you information about doctors accredited to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center.
