We Cover Every Beat of Heart Care
Time is critical for patients experiencing a heart attack. In partnership with local community emergency medical services (EMS) teams, Texas Health Huguley Hospital has significantly decreased the time patients spend in cardiac arrest before receiving care. We provide a seamless handoff from local EMS teams to ensure heart attack patients receive the urgent cardiac care they need when they need it.
Heart Care Services
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
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Our comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program is designed to provide patients with the advantages of cardiac fitness and a new beginning for a healthier lifestyle. The program emphasizes education and monitored progressive exercise by the cardiac rehabilitation team.
- Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Care
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We have a team of specialists dedicated to helping prevent, treat and even reverse symptoms of coronary artery disease. Take comfort in knowing that we are leveraging the most innovative technology to diagnose and treat symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors
You can take control and break lifelong habits by knowing the risk factors you can change.
- Alcohol
- Cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Diet and nutrition
- Ethnicity
- Excess body weight
- Gender
- High blood pressure
- Increasing age
- Physical inactivity
- Stress
- Tobacco use
- Code STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) Program
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Our Code STEMI team is readily available to treat cardiac emergencies. Treatment begins as soon as EMS personnel alert the team that a patient is en route. The Code STEMI team will coordinate with local EMS to complete an assessment before the patient arrives at the emergency room.
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
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You can count on our surgical teams to provide exceptional surgical care with fewer risks and less hospital time. Our cardiothoracic surgeons specialize in complex cardiac and vascular procedures, including open-heart surgery, lung surgery, carotid artery surgery and revascularization.
Minimally Invasive Procedures
Minimally invasive procedures include medical robotics and thoracoscopic tools, allowing surgeons to operate more efficiently and precisely. Robotic-assisted surgery can lead to:
- Fewer complications
- Less blood loss
- Less need for pain medicine
- Lower risk of life-threatening infections
- Shorter hospital stays
- Smaller incisions with minimal scarring
- Vascular Care
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Vascular disease refers to various conditions impacting blood flow through your vessels. Restriction of flow impacts how blood and oxygen are pumped to essential organs such as the heart, brain and lungs. Your body relies on a complex network of arteries and veins to function normally. When a problem occurs within the system, our team is here to help you get the treatment you need.
Our team can provide care for various types of vascular disease, including:
- Venous diseases
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Aneurysmal Disease
- Carotid Artery Disease
We offer treatment options based on your individual needs, including:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
- Arterial bypass
- Endarterectomy
- Endovascular therapy
- Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR)
- Varicose and spider vein therapy
- Interventional Cardiology
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When you’re experiencing symptoms of a cardiac event, every minute matters. That’s why our team of emergency physicians and interventional cardiologists is equipped with specialized training and the latest technologies, ensuring we are readily available when you need us. Our onsite Code STEMI team and catheterization lab staff are here to respond quickly with innovative and award-winning care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Interventional Cardiology Procedures
- Carotid angioplasty: If you have a blocked or narrow carotid artery, angioplasty is a minimally invasive technique that will increase blood flow, treating your condition while allowing for a faster recovery and less pain. A catheter is gently inserted and guided to the blockage. A balloon at the end of the catheter will then be inflated to flatten the plaque or widen the artery opening. In some cases, a stent may be placed to keep the artery open.
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI): PCI can be performed if your coronary artery is blocked or you have coronary artery disease. This catheter-based procedure widens the vessel, sometimes using stents to keep it open after the procedure. If you have had a myocardial infarction or unstable angina, PCI may reduce your risk of future incidents.
- Heart Rhythm Disorder Care
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We have a dedicated electrophysiology lab to meet your heart arrhythmia care needs. From EKGs to ICDs, pacemakers and ablations, our lab combines advanced technology, treatments and healing methods to help your heart stay in rhythm.
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Types:
- Paroxysmal AFib: Short episodes of AFib where the irregular heartbeat resolves on its own within seven days of starting.
- Persistent AFib: AFib that lasts longer than seven days, does not resolve on its own, and requires treatment to heal.
- Longstanding AFib: AFib that lasts longer than one year and needs treatment to heal.
- Permanent AFib: AFib that continues indefinitely without treatment.
- Nonvalvular AFib: AFib that’s unrelated to heart valve problems.
Regardless of the type, atrial fibrillation will require treatment. Irregular heartbeats disrupt blood flow and increase the risk of stroke. It is key for you and your Electrophysiologist to understand what’s causing an irregular heartbeat. Our skilled team will help get you answers and treatment.
- Diagnosis and Testing
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Once we have understood your symptoms, identified your risk factors and reviewed your medical history, you and your care team will work collaboratively to decide on a care plan that meets your needs. We use diagnostic tests and exams to help pinpoint your diagnosis, including:
- Cardiac catheterization
- Coronary and peripheral angiography (CT and MR)
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- Exercise stress test
- Nuclear cardiology
- Peripheral vascular testing
Take a few minutes to complete our health risk assessment to discover your potential risk level.
Why Texas Health Huguley?
Your best life is out there. Let us help you find it. Our whole-person approach to care is designed to help you take your health — and your life — back into your own hands. It’s not just about healing what’s wrong; it’s about celebrating what’s right and helping you create a life of better health, more joy, and less stress. After more than 40 years of delivering exceptional whole-person health care with uncommon compassion, Texas Health Huguley works to extend the healing ministry of Christ. We’re here to help you feel whole again.
Heart Attacks – What You Need to Know
A heart attack is the sudden interruption of blood flow within the heart. The blockage can happen when a piece of plaque breaks loose from the wall of a blood vessel and becomes lodged in one of the heart's arteries. Also known as an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a heart attack can also occur when arteries become inflamed or closed off because of plaque buildup. Without rapid treatment, a heart attack can lead to permanent heart damage and even death.
Symptoms
The most common symptom is chest pain, also known as angina. Chest pain is discomfort, heaviness, tightness, pressure, aching, burning, numbness, fullness or a squeezing sensation in the chest area. It is sometimes confused with indigestion or heartburn. Angina is usually felt in the chest but may also radiate down the left shoulder and arm and may be felt in the neck, back or jaw.
Other Common Symptoms
- Fainting
- Impending sense of doom
- Nausea and vomiting
- Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
Women may experience different heart attack symptoms, including:
- Abdominal pain
- Clammy skin
- Heartburn
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Unexplained fatigue
If you have chest discomfort or any of the symptoms mentioned above that last for more than five minutes, call 911 immediately.
Take Charge of Your Heart Health
When you know your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, you can take meaningful steps toward prevention. Even small changes — walking more or adding heart-healthy foods to your diet — can have a big impact.
Take a few minutes to complete our heart risk assessment to discover your potential risk level.