Our life-Saving Heart Care Program
Certified Chest Pain Center
As the first hospital in the Murrieta-Temecula region to provide interventional cardiology services and life-saving heart care procedures, we have cared for thousands of patients needing advanced cardiology care. On August 20, 2013 we became the first licenses STEMI (heart attack) receiving center in the region. In July of 2015 we were designated as a certified Chest Pain Center by the Society for Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), an international agency designed to improve outcomes for heart patients. We have treated thousands of heart patients from San Jacinto, Fallbrook, Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula, Lake Elsinore and other surrounding neighborhoods, providing them with faster access to the care they need.
Since our program’s birth, we have performed over 500 open-heart surgeries, saved hundreds of lives from sudden heart attack and cared for thousands of cardiology patients in our cath lab. We now treat heart rhythm disorders with our team of board certified electrophysiologists. As part of our program we have a dynamic heart health rehabilitation program that helps our heart patients to achieve lasting heart health improvement.
Helping you and your loved ones protect, save and repair their hearts is one of our highest priorities at LLUMC-Murrieta. To find a physician to treat your needs.
Diagnostics
We have three state of the art digital cath labs that provide our physicians and staff with the ability to help our patients to receive the most accurate diagnostic care in the region.
Interventional Cardiology
LLUMC-Murrieta, the first hospital in the Murrieta region to provide life-saving interventional cardiology procedures, has provided exceptional heart care since February 2012. Though a new program, we have performed thousands of life-saving interventions. Our board certified physicians and our highly skilled nurses, technicians and radiology experts all work together with one goal, providing our patients and their families with interventional heart care they can trust.
What is Interventional Cardiology?
Interventional cardiology utilizes a minimally invasive approach to providing preventative care to individuals who have been diagnosed with a blockage or heart defect. Most procedures can be done with a heart catheterization which involves inserting a sheath into the femoral artery and taking images of the heart. These procedures include:
Angioplasty – is an intervention that treats Coronary Artery Disease.
Valvuloplasty – is the dilation of narrowed cardiac valves, typically the mitral, aortic or pulmonary valves.
Congenital heart defect correction – atrial septal and ventricular septal defects, closure ductus arteriosus and angioplasty of the large vessels.
Percutaneous valve replacement – percutaneous valve replacement is the replacement of a heart valve without the need for open heart surgery.
Coronary thrombectomy – the removal of a blood clot from the coronary arteries.
Interventional cardiology procedures reduce scars, pain and long recoveries. The interventional cardiology procedure known as primary
angioplasty
is considered the care for an acute
myocardial infarction
. It involves the extraction of clots from occluded coronary arteries and deployment of stents and balloons through a small hole made in a major artery.
Interventional cardiology procedures reduce scars, pain and long recoveries. The interventional cardiology procedure, primary
angioplasty
is vital care for an acute
myocardial infarction
(heart attack). Clots are removed from occluded coronary arteries and the deployment of stents and balloons through a small hole made in a major artery provide immediate relief from the damage caused by a blockage.
What It Means to You
Most heart conditions can be managed to prevent life-threatening situations such a sudden heart attacks. It’s important to find cardiologist and see your physician regularly to monitor your heart health so that early interventions can be done before heart disease becomes more serious. Because we are in the area, patients no longer have to drive 40+ miles to get their heart care. We provide heart care you can trust, close to home.
Find a Physician, call 800-867-7011.
Electrophysiology – Heart Rhythm Disorders
Our board-certified cardiac electrophysiologists provide diagnostic and interventional treatments for patients suffering from a variety of heart rhythm disorders. When the heart beats too quickly, too slowly or has lapses in regular beats, this is a dangerous life-threatening condition.
Often called arrhythmia’s, the abnormal heart beats need to be accurately diagnosed, treated and monitored.
Treatments can include medication, ablation, loop recorders, pacemakers, and other ways to monitor and support regular heart function.
The physicians on our staff who provide cardiac electrophysiology care are:
Open Heart Surgery
In some cases, open heart surgery is necessary. It is done to repair damage due to complications from heart disease, genetic heart defects and/or valvular heart disease.
We have a dedicated and experienced team of open heart surgeons (cardio-thoracic surgeons) who perform these operations that can enhance quality of life and return you to the active life you love!
To learn more about our surgeons, go to the Find A Physician link on our website and select Cardiothoracic Surgery to see the physicians who are affiliated with our hospital, or call us at 800-867-7011.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
We offer a robust Cardiac Rehabilitation program that serves the needs of patients encouraging and empowering them to make lifestyle changes that build a healthy heart.
We focus is on lifestyle modification and includes exercise and education. Exercise is monitored and supervised, which guides and enables the patient to increase his/her cardiorespiratory fitness level and exercise safely at home.
Education includes a 3-point system that provides practical information on stress management, nutrition, and heart health. At the end of the 36 session cardiovascular health and wellness program, patients leave with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to take control of their lives and experience a higher quality of life.
Check with your insurance provider for information on coverage. At this time patients must have a physician referral for rehabilitation in order to participate in the program.
Make a difference in your life and ask your cardiologist if cardiac rehabilitation is right for you.
Early Signs Of Heart Attack
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for American men and women. It’s important to know the warnings signs of disease and heart attack.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
There are specific things that can increase your risk of having heart disease, however, each person is unique. It’s important to visit a physician for a full and personalized assessment.
Here is a short list of risk factors that increase your chances of having heart disease and the complications that come with it.
Smoking
High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol
Diabetes
Being overweight
Lack of physical activity
Sedentary work and lifestyle
Stressful work and lifestyle
The American Heart Association provides a Heart Attack Risk Assessment tool on their website. You can find it
here.
Recognizing a Heart Attack or Angina
If you have risk factors for heart problems, you should always be on the look-out for signs of angina or a heart attack. Ir you have a sudden heart problem, getting treatment right away is essential.
Angina – is a painful or uncomfortable feeling in or near your chest. It signals a lowered amount of blood flow to your heart. Angina is a sign that you are at increased risk of having a heart attack. Angina is pain, burning, tightness, pressure in the chest, back, neck, throat and/or jaw. Angina symptoms will most likely feel the same each time you have them. Angina symptoms last for only a few minutes. If they last longer than a few minutes, or go away and come back, you may be having aheart attack. Call 911 immediately. Angina symptoms should go away with rest and medication. If they don’t go away, call 911 and get immediate medical care. At any time if you experience shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea or feeling light-headed call 911 immediately.
Heart Attack – is the loss of blood flow to the heart. Without blood flow the heart muscle tissue dies. Though many people survive heart attacks, they can be deadly. It is vital to get help as soon as possible. If you have symptoms you can’t explain call 911 or get to the nearest ER right away. Here are some typical signs of heart attack:
Chest discomfort: most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back repeatedly. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Fatigue: extreme loss of energy and a strong desire to lay down
Arm pain: radiating pain down one or both arms
Neck and/or jaw pain: radiating un-explainable pain in the neck and/or jaw
Heartburn: heart attacks can often feel like typical stomach pain and/or hearburn
Shortness of breath: feeling like you can’t catch your breath or get enough air in when you inhale
Cold sweats: palms of hands, armpits, neck, forehead beading up with sweat
Nausea
Light-headed
If You have Diabetes
Over time, high blood sugar can damage nerves and blood vessels in your body. This can keep you from feeling pain caused by a heart problem, leading to a “silent” heart condition. If you don’t feel symptoms you are less likely to get treatment. Talk to your physician about how you can lower your risk for silent heart problems.
Heart Attack Symptoms In Women
Women experience heart attacks differently then men do. Their symptoms can be much more subtle and gradually progressive.
Typical early symptoms for women can include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing and pain in the center of your chest.
Arm pain
Jaw pain
Cold sweats
Shortness of breath
The American Heath Association provides extensive information about recognizing symptoms. Click
here
to learn more.
Go Red for Women from the American Heart Association created a funny but educational video staring Elizabeth Banks titled, “Just A Little Heart Attack”. To see it click
here.