Heart Treatments & Surgery
Don’t take chances when it comes to your heart health. Ozarks Healthcare’s heart treatments and surgery provide consistent excellence in care. We use the latest advancements in technology and procedures to ensure you receive the treatment you deserve.
Minimally Invasive Heart Treatments
If you have blocked or narrowed arteries, Ozarks Healthcare’s interventional cardiologist may be able to treat them in our cardiac catheterization lab. Procedures that take place here are minimally invasive, which means they use only a small incision. You may go home the same day you receive one of these treatments:
- Atherectomy – Uses a special catheter that cuts out a blockage in your heart artery
- Balloon angioplasty – Inflates a tiny surgical balloon in a blocked artery to widen it so blood can flow better
- Stent placement – Positions a sleeve-like metallic scaffold to hold your heart artery open
- Thrombectomy – Uses a special catheter to remove blood clots from your arteries
You may have one of these techniques to relieve chest pain and reduce the risk of heart attack.
Minimally Invasive Aneurysm Repair
If you have an aortic aneurysm (a weak area in the body’s largest artery), Ozarks Healthcare may use an advanced, nonsurgical technique to treat it. The procedure is called endovascular stent grafting. A doctor inserts a tiny tube called a stent into a blood vessel, guides it to the aneurysm and places it there. Blood flows through the stent, relieving pressure on the weak area and keeping it from rupturing.
This endovascular approach is much less invasive than surgery, which requires a large incision. You’ll recover sooner, with less pain and scarring.
Heart Surgery
In some cases, surgery is the best treatment for cardiovascular disease. Ozarks Healthcare surgeons provide:
- Aneurysm repair – Reinforces a weak area of a blood vessel so it doesn't rupture (burst)
- Peripheral vascular surgery – Restores the flow of blood through blocked or narrowed vessels in your legs or other areas of the body
- Repair of congenital heart defects – Treats heart problems you're born with, such as atrial septal defect (a hole in the heart)
- Valve repair and replacement – Treats a narrowed or leaking heart valve, which controls the flow of blood through the heart
After surgery, you'll see us regularly so we can make sure you recover well. You may also receive a referral to cardiac rehabilitation, an exercise and education program that safely strengthens your heart and improves your energy and stamina.
Defibrillator or Pacemaker Placement
You may receive an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or a pacemaker device if you have an arrhythmia. Your doctor will place it under the skin of your chest during surgery. Both types of devices regulate or “pace” your heartbeat. An ICD can also shock your heart to prevent a dangerously fast heartbeat.
You’ll be able to check your ICD or pacemaker on your phone via Bluetooth. Sometimes, you’ll need to visit or call your doctor to discuss your ICD or pacemaker and make sure it’s functioning normally.
