Dr. Naeem Asghar

A thorough evaluation of heart health includes a comprehensive cardiac consultation that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of heart conditions. This encompasses issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and the cardiovascular health of cancer patients. It also addresses heart failure and involves catheter-based procedures performed by a heart specialist, such as angioplasty and stenting to open blocked arteries, as well as echocardiography for assessing heart function and repairing heart valves. Additionally, interventional cardiologists play a crucial role in treating structural heart issues through techniques like angiography.

An ECG is a test that records your heart's electrical activity, showing how it beats by detecting electrical signals through sticky electrodes on the skin. This test is crucial in a cardiac consultation, as it helps doctors diagnose heart problems like arrhythmias, heart attacks, or blocked arteries. The signals are displayed as a graph, which can guide interventional cardiologists in determining if procedures like angiography or angioplasty are necessary. Additionally, echocardiography may be recommended for further evaluation by a heart specialist.

ETT checks the heart's function during physical activity by monitoring ECG, heart rate, and blood pressure while walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike with increasing intensity. This process aids heart specialists in diagnosing conditions like coronary artery disease and arrhythmias, as well as assessing treatment effectiveness. For further evaluation, a cardiac consultation may recommend additional tests such as echocardiography or procedures like angiography and angioplasty, especially if an interventional cardiologist is involved.

Echocardiography is an ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart. This test assists doctors, including heart specialists and interventional cardiologists, in diagnosing heart problems such as valve issues, muscle damage, heart murmurs, or heart failure. By visualizing heart chambers, muscle thickness, and blood flow in real-time, echocardiography provides critical information without radiation, complementing other procedures like angiography and angioplasty during a cardiac consultation.

ABPM is a 24-hour test using a portable device that automatically measures your blood pressure at regular intervals while you go about your daily activities, providing a comprehensive picture of BP fluctuations, including during sleep. This test is essential for diagnosing conditions like 'white coat hypertension' or masked hypertension, and it plays a critical role in cardiac consultation. By assessing treatment effectiveness beyond single office readings, it can guide decisions related to procedures such as angiography angioplasty and inform ongoing care with a heart specialist or interventional cardiologist. Additionally, echocardiography may be recommended to further evaluate your heart health.

A Holter monitor is a small, portable device that continuously records ECG for 24 hours or more as you go about your daily routine. This device is crucial for conducting a thorough cardiac consultation, as it helps doctors diagnose intermittent issues like arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) that a standard, quick ECG might miss. By detecting symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, or palpitations, it can provide valuable information that may lead to further tests like echocardiography or even procedures like angiography angioplasty, especially when evaluated by a heart specialist or an interventional cardiologist.

PCI, or percutaneous coronary intervention, is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure performed by an interventional cardiologist to open blocked or narrowed heart arteries (coronary arteries) caused by plaque buildup. This is achieved by placing a stent, a small mesh tube, to keep the artery open, thereby restoring blood flow to the heart muscle. This procedure is often discussed during a cardiac consultation and can significantly reduce chest pain (angina) and treat heart attacks. Prior to PCI, angiography may be conducted, and echocardiography can also be utilized to assess heart function.

A coronary angiogram is a special X-ray test that uses dye for angiography to visualize blood flow through the heart's arteries. This procedure reveals narrowing or blockages from plaque buildup (atherosclerosis), which can lead to chest pain or heart attacks. The results from this test can guide a cardiac consultation with a heart specialist, helping to determine treatment options like medication or angioplasty. Additionally, an echocardiography may be performed by an interventional cardiologist to further assess heart function.

Permanent pacemaker implantation is a minimally invasive procedure performed by a heart specialist, where a small, battery-powered device is implanted under the skin in the chest to regulate slow or irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). This procedure often follows a thorough cardiac consultation and may be complemented by tests such as echocardiography. Using insulated wires (leads) threaded through veins, the pacemaker delivers electrical signals to the heart muscle, helping maintain a proper rhythm for better blood flow. In some cases, interventional cardiologists may also utilize techniques like angiography and angioplasty to assess and treat heart conditions.