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Event monitors are small devices that are used by patients over a longer period of time, typically up to one month. Two electrodes on the chest connect to two wires on the event recorder. The monitor is always on, but it will only store your heart’s rhythm when the button is pushed indicating that you having symptoms. Once a recording has been made, it is transmitted by fax to the cardiologist to review.
The Tilt Table Test is a study designed to assess fainting spells and sudden drops in blood pressure. You lie down on a special examining table with safety belts and a footrest. An IV is inserted into one of your arms and a blood pressure cuff is attached to your other arm to monitor your blood pressure during the test. You are attached with electrodes to an EKG recorder to monitor your heart rate. The table is then tilted upright for about 45 minutes. If you faint during the test, the table will be returned to the flat position, and you will continue to be monitored closely while you recover. The doctor will evaluate your heart rate, rhythm, and blood pressure to make a diagnosis.
A stress test is a non-invasive, safe, and painless procedure used by doctors to assess your tolerance to exercise, diagnose heart disease, and determine your risk to have a heart attack. A non-Cardiolite exercise stress combines treadmill activity with an EKG to measure your heart’s activity both at rest and during exercise. Exercise Cardiolite Stress Test An exercise Cardiolite stress test takes pictures of your heart muscles and arteries during rest and while exercising on a treadmill showing the doctor how your heart works with activity and if there are any areas of your heart that are not getting enough blood supply (called ischemia). If the test is abnormal, the doctor may want to do an angiogram of your heart to locate the problem. A Cardiolite stress test is 85-90% accurate.
An echocardiogram is a test in which an ultrasound is used to examine the heart. It provides single dimension images (M-mode echo) that allow for accurate measurement of the heart’s chambers and two dimensional images (2-D echo) displaying a cross-sectional “slice” of the beating heart, including the chambers, valves, and blood vessels that enter and exit from the right and left ventricles. by which size, thickness, and movement of these heart structures are evaluated. Doppler is a special part of the examination which assesses the direction and velocity of blood flow through the heart. The echo is also used to assess the pumping power of the heart.
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A carotid ultrasound is most frequently performed to detect narrowing, or stenosis, of the carotid arteries which can increase the risk for stroke.
A renal artery ultrasound is performed to detect renal artery stenosis which can be the cause of resistant or uncontrolled high blood pressure or worsening kidney failure.
Upper and Lower Extremities Arterial and Venous Studies • An arterial ultrasound detects stenosis in the arteries of the arms and legs which may be impeding circulation causing pain, numbness, and diminished pulses.
External Enhanced Counterpulsation Therapy (EECP) is a new non-invasive treatment now available at Del Rio Heart Institute & Diabetes Center. There are only a few clinics in Texas that offer this therapy, and we are proud to have this available as another treatment option for our patients who suffer from severe angina (chest pain) who are not candidates for angioplasty or bypass surgery.
EECP Therapy helps to relieve symptoms of angina (chest pain). During EECP Therapy, cuffs are wrapped firmly around parts of the body. The cuffs inflate and deflate between each heart beat. When inflated, the cuffs squeeze blood towards the heart increasing coronary perfusion pressure. This helps reduce or eliminate chest pain, and studies have shown that this added pressure aids the heart in creating natural bypasses, increasing blood supply to the heart. Deflating the cuffs allows the heart to pump blood back through the body.
EECP Therapy
The cardiologist can evaluate your condition and determine if you are a candidate for EECP Therapy.
Impedance Cardiography (ICG) is a safe, non-invasive way to measure and monitor the cardiac cycle. It uses 4 electrodes on the neck and chest to transmit and detect electrical impedance to measure changes in blood volume such as cardiac output. ICG is useful in diagnosing patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).
Cardioversion is a brief procedure where an electrical shock is delivered to the heart to convert an abnormal rhythm to a normal rhythm. Most cardioversions are performed to treat atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, a common heart rhythm disorder caused by a problem in the conduction of the electrical impulses in the top chambers of the heart.
In most cases, a cardiac catheterization is performed when the doctor suspects that there might be a blockage in one of your arteries, particularly if you had an abnormal stress test or are having severe symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath.
If the doctor finds a problem, he may transfer you to a cardiosurgeon for revascularization, bypass surgery, or other operations to repair extensive problems in your arteries or heart structures.
1. Ventricular tachycardia is when the lower chambers of your heart (ventricles) beat too quickly. In response, the defibrillator will emit low-energy electrical impulses that help your heart change back into a normal rhythm. 2. Ventricular fibrillation is when your fast heart beats progress to a very rapid, life-threatening rhythm where your ventricles quiver rather than beat. In response, the defibrillator will deliver a strong jolt to your heart to reset your heart rate.
• Exercise when you want without having to eat first The insulin pump is not automatic! The user still has to decide how much insulin will be given. But insulin pumps are the most accurate, precise, and flexible insulin delivery system currently available. Neurometrix Studies to Assess Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
And ultrasound of the thyroid is used to determine the size and shape of the thyroid gland, help diagnose a lump (nodule) in the thyroid, or to see if the thyroid is functioning properly.
If a thyroid nodule is found by ultrasound, the doctor may order a thyroid scan to more accurately evaluate the size, shape, and position of the nodule and how active it is. Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration of Thyroid Nodules Thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy is the only non-surgical method which can differentiate malignant and benign thyroid nodules, in most cases, and it is 99% accurate.
The procedure generally does not require anesthesia. It is about as uncomfortable as drawing blood from the arm for laboratory testing. In fact, the needle used for FNA is smaller than that used for laboratory blood draws.
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Non-Cardiolite Stress Test
For patient’s who cannot exercise on the treadmill, this type of Cardiolite stress test is performed where adenosine ( a vasodilator) is used to increase blood flow and mimic the effects of exercise on the heart. You may experience some symptoms such as shortness of breath or dizziness, but this lasts for only a few minutes and is easily tolerated.
An ultrasound is a procedure that uses very high-frequency sound waves to view internal organs and produce images of the human body.
EECP Therapy does not require any type of anesthesia, and it generally feels like a vigorous massage. Patient’s who undergo EECP therapy report fewer angina attacks and are able to resume physical activity. Published studies have demonstrated relief from angina pain and improvement in the oxygen-deprived areas of the heart in approximately 78 percent of stable angina patients. The treatment is for 35 days (excluding weekends) for one hour a day, and it is covered by most insurance carriers, including Medicare. 
This test measures T-wave alternans, an abnormal change from one heartbeat to the next, that cannot be detected by a standard EKG. Patients with this change in heartbeat regulation are at increased risk for ventricular arrhythmia and sudden death than those without it. In order to perform this test, electrodes are attached to your chest, and your heart rhythm is measured while you exercise on a stationary bike. Your heart’s rhythm is then evaluated by the doctor for any abnormalities.
A cardiac catheterization uses angiograms, an imaging test that uses x-rays to view your body’s blood vessels. The doctor often uses this test to
study narrow, blocked, enlarged, or malformed arteries in your heart and to study the valves, chambers, and pumping action of the heart muscle itself. The doctor may also decide to do an
angiogram of other parts of your body, including your carotid arteries in your neck, your renal arteries, and your arms and legs to assess risk for stroke or determine if there are any circulation problems in the limbs or kidneys. To create the x-ray images, the doctor will inject a liquid, sometimes called "dye" or contrast, through a thin, flexible tube, called a catheter. He threads the catheter into the desired artery usually from your groin. The “dye” makes the blood flowing inside the blood vessels visible on an x-ray. The “dye” is later eliminated from your body through your kidneys and your urine. 
An AICD (Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) is a device that is implanted in the chest to monitor the heart’s rhythm, and, if necessary, correct abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). They are used to treat mainly two forms of abnormal heart rhythms.
Nerve conduction studies are the “gold standard” diagnostic tool for the assessment of neuropathies. Neuropathy is where there is a problem in the function of the peripheral nerves with symptoms ranging from a tingling sensation, numbness, weakness, pain or swelling in the fingers or toes to paralysis. Neurometrix is a device that is useful for diagnosing neuropathies in patients with diabetes. 
An ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image of the thyroid gland which is located in the front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. The sound waves are emitted form a small handheld transducer which is passed over the thyroid. A lubricant jelly is placed on the skin so that the sound waves transmit easier through the skin and into the thyroid and surrounding structures. This test is accurate, painless, and completely safe. The procedure takes as little as 10 minutes, and you get the results immediately.
Because ultrasound gives real-time results, it is often used to accurately guide the needle into the thyroid nodule. The doctor will insert the needle into the nodule several times, and cells are aspirated into the syringe. The cells are placed on a microscope slide, stained, and examined by a cytopathologist. The nodule is then classified as non-diagnostic, benign, suspicious, or malignant.| © 2000-2009 Del Rio Heart Institute |