Cardiology

Coronary calcium score screening is a painless, noninvasive test that can help identify if you are developing coronary artery disease (CAD). This simple computerized tomography (CT) scan can help determine the health of your heart, even before symptoms develop. Images from the scan reveal details of the heart and its vessels that a conventional X-ray cannot. If you are at risk for developing CAD, coronary calcium CT screening can help you and your doctor be proactive about your heart health. Those at high risk have:

• High blood cholesterol levels
• Family history of heart disease
• Excess weight
• Sedentary lifestyle
• History of smoking cigarettes or are currently smoking
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure

Many insurance companies cover the cost of a coronary calcium CT scan. Talk to your insurance provider for details. Alternatively, self-pay options are available for less than $200.

Call (844) 801-9319 to learn more and to schedule this important screening.

Although cancer treatments can be lifesaving, they often negatively affect the heart and vascular system. Often, heart issues present while you are reeling from a difficult diagnosis and trying to manage treatment side effects. In the past, you have to coordinate your own heart care while having to put your oncology care on hold. However, at our hospital, we take a proactive and coordinated approach to cardio-oncology. As part of our comprehensive oncology care and heart and vascular program, we help coordinate cardio-oncology care.

Our program includes:

• Assessment of cardiovascular risk
• Identifying treatments that have cardiovascular risk
• Follow you to prevent cardiac issues and manage continued cardiovascular treatment
• Comanaging your treatment with oncology and primary care
• Preoperative evaluation
• Manage long-term cancer survivor's cardiovascular health

Our surgeons are experts in treating heart and vascular conditions with minimally invasive techniques. These techniques often allow you to recover more quickly, as there is reduced blood loss and lessened trauma to the body. We offer a full range of surgeries, including:

• Aortic valve replacement
• Coronary artery bypass graft
• Mitral valve repair
• Open heart surgery

In our cardiac catheterization lab, we offer heart screening, cardiac caths and electrophysiology (EP) procedures. EP procedures or studies, like angiograms, are performed to examine the electrical system of your heart. Our outpatient cath lab team provides excellent care and takes pride in superior cardiac skills. Outpatient procedures generally do not require an overnight stay at the hospital.

To learn more about our outpatient cath lab services, call (303) 788-4130.

Diagnostic procedures

We provide a range of tests and procedures to diagnose cardiovascular conditions, including:

• 3D mapping
• Heart biopsy
• Intravascular ultrasound
• Nitric oxide study for pulmonary hypertension
• Peripheral angiogram
• Pressure wire
• Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)

Coronary interventions for clogged arteries

Our heart surgeons perform minimally invasive procedures to open clogged heart arteries, such as:

• Bare metal
• Biventricular leads
• Nationally recognized Cardiac Alert program
• Cardioversion
• Cutting balloon
• Drug-eluting stents
• High-risk coronary stenting with advanced therapies (Impella)
• Implantable defibrillator
• Pacemaker
• Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)/stents
• Rotablator
• Tilt table

Peripheral intervention

Peripheral intervention is a procedure used to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD) or atherosclerosis. We perform both percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) combined with coronary stenting, including:

• Renal PTCA/stent
• Peripheral PTCA/stent

Additional minimally invasive heart procedures we offer

We also provide a range of other cardiovascular procedures and surgeries, many of which are minimally invasive, including:

• Alcohol ablation
• ASD/PFO repair
• Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• Atrial flutter
• Atrial septal defect (ASD) closure
• Cardiac ablation
• Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure
• Pericardiocentesis
• Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) ablation
• Valvuloplasty
• Vascular surgery
• Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) Device
• Convergent procedure
• Transcatheter pacing system placement
• Ventricular tachycardia

If you are experiencing unexplained chest pain, you are typically admitted to the emergency room (ER). Upon admission, there is observation, monitoring and a stress test — a process taking 18 to 24 hours to complete, including an overnight stay in the hospital. At our hospital, our progressive process can be completed in only eight hours and does not require you to leave the emergency department. Our program is only used when initial assessment tests rule out that a heart attack is causing a patient’s chest pain and other symptoms.

We know that chest pain and the symptoms of discomfort can cause you high anxiety. Our chest pain nurse practitioners (NP) use a holistic approach to determine if your symptoms indicate cardiac stress of any kind.

Chest pain NPs have increased availability with expanded hours, covering both the main campus and the HCA HealthONE Southwest ER, A part of Swedish in Littleton. NPs at our hospital are on campus for more hours (7:30am to 8:00pm) than any other facility in the city.

Early heart attack care (EHAC) resources

Did you know that heart attacks have identifiable beginnings that can occur weeks before the actual event? EHAC and early recognition of acute coronary symptoms can help prevent acute myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest. We provide resources to promote public awareness and increase education, such as:

• EHAC Handout (8.5x11)
• EHAC CPR Poster (18x24)
• EHAC Course
• EHAC Course (Spanish)
• Community Health Assessment Survey
• Community Health Plan
• Hospital Transformation Program Community and Health Neighborhood Engagement Report