Advanced care from pioneers in heart failure treatment and research

Expert Heart & Vascular Care

Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our heart or vascular specialists.

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More than 6 million Americans have heart failure, a chronic disease that worsens over time and can severely limit your ability to live a full and normal life. Our Advanced Heart Failure Program is dedicated to alleviating symptoms and adding quality years to the lives of patients across the spectrum of the disease.

Our doctors are pioneers in heart failure treatments, having implanted the first HeartWare® left ventricular assist device (LVAD) in the country and having performed the first heart transplant in the District of Columbia. We continue to improve on these procedures while also aggressively pursuing even more effective therapies for the sickest of the sick.

Our team includes not only heart doctors and surgeons but also nutritionists, financial counselors and social workers as part of our patient support program. We are one of the first advanced heart failure programs to integrate palliative care personalized pain management along every step of treatment.

What are the types of heart failure?

Heart failure occurs when your heart doesn’t fill with enough blood or doesn’t pump enough blood throughout your body. This is different from sudden cardiac arrest, in which the heart actually stops beating.

There are three main types of heart failure:

  • Congestive heart failure, in which blood backs up and causes congestion in the body’s tissues. This most often results in swelling in the legs, but it also can interfere with lung and kidney function.
  • Left-sided heart failure, in which the heart does not have enough force to pump blood to the rest of the body.
  • Right-side heart failure, in which the heart can’t effectively accept blood from the body and deliver it to the lungs.

What can cause heart failure?

Most cases of heart failure are caused by damage to the heart due to an underlying condition, such as:

What are the possible risk factors for heart failure?

Along with having one of the conditions above that can cause heart failure, the following factors also can increase your risk for the disease:

  • Age (older than 65)
  • Drinking too much alcohol
  • Family history of heart failure
  • Gender (men are at higher risk)
  • Obesity
  • Race (African-Americans are at increased risk of heart failure)
  • Tobacco use

Advanced Heart Failure Patient Support

Our unique patient support program for advanced heart failure patients offers the resources you need to optimize your medical care and improve your quality of life.

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Tests

Diagnosing heart failure is the first step to developing a treatment plan. Our specialists may recommend one or more diagnostic and imaging procedures.

Angiogram (Angiography)

An angiogram is a special X-ray taken as a special dye is injected through a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to detect blockages or aneurysms in blood vessels.

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive way to diagnose and treat a variety of heart and vascular conditions by guiding thin, flexible tubes called catheters through blood vessels to problem areas.

Chest X-ray

Chest X-rays use a small dose of radiation to create pictures of the structures inside the chest, including the lungs, heart and chest wall.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

The cardiac computed tomography scan, or cardiac CT, uses X-rays to create three-dimensional images of your heart and blood vessels.

Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of your heart.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG, measures the heart’s electrical activity.

Heart Biopsy

In a heart biopsy, your doctor will remove small samples of your heart muscle tissue to monitor heart function or diagnose a problem.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging, better known as cardiac MRI, is a combination of radio waves, magnets and computer technology to create images of your heart and blood vessels.

Stress Tests

Stress tests are used to assess how your heart works during physical activity. There are several types of stress tests, including treadmill or bike stress tests, nuclear stress tests, stress echocardiograms and chemically induced stress tests.

Treatments

If you have heart failure, you’ll likely need lifelong treatment to manage symptoms, reverse damage and live longer.  It may include lifestyle modifications, medications or other advanced treatments.

Heart Failure Treatment

Treatments for heart failure such as medications, surgery and mechanical devices vary based on the cause and severity of your condition.

Inotropic Therapy

Inotropic therapy is an IV medication that can relieve symptoms of heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.

Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)

A ventricular assist device (VAD), also known as a mechanical circulatory support device, helps the heart pump blood more effectively during end-stage heart failure.

Heart Transplants

A heart transplant replaces a diseased, failing heart with a healthier heart from a donor.