Cardiology

Cardiologists in Caldwell, Idaho

West Valley Medical Center provides a full range of heart care diagnostics and treatment to get you back to living a normal, healthy life. We have earned awards for our quality heart care, as an Accredited Chest Pain Center from the American College of Cardiology.

For more information about our cardiology services, contact us at (208) 455-3981.

Heart care services

Our cardiologists, electrophysiologists and cardiovascular surgeons treat a wide range of heart conditions and disorders, including:

• Angina: Chest pain or discomfort caused when the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen-rich blood
• Atherosclerosis: Condition where there is a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on artery walls
• Atrial fibrillation (A-Fib): The most common type of heart arrhythmia when the heart beats too slowly, too fast or in an irregular way
• Bradycardia: Condition occurring when the heart rate is abnormally slow (less than 60 beats per minute)
• Cardiomyopathy: Disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body
• Coronary artery disease: A narrowing or blockage of your coronary arteries usually caused by the buildup of fatty material called plaque
• Congestive heart failure: Condition when the heart cannot pump (systolic) or fill (diastolic) adequately and includes symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, swollen legs, and rapid heartbeat
• Heart attack: Blockage of blood flow to the heart
• Pericarditis: Swelling and irritation of the thin sac-like membrane surrounding the heart
• Peripheral artery disease: Circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood
• Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs): A too-early heartbeat that originates in the ventricles and disrupts the heart's normal rhythm
• Supraventricular tachycardia: Faster than normal heartbeat (heart palpitation)
• Ventricular tachycardia: Condition where the lower chamber of the heart beats very quickly, commonly occurs as a complication of a heart attack
• Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: Abnormal electrical pathways in the heart that cause a disruption of the heart's normal rhythm
• Other complex heart arrhythmias: Abnormal heart rhythms

Cardiac catheterization lab

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to analyze and measure your heart function. A thin, hollow tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery and threaded into your heart, allowing the doctor to perform a variety of diagnostic and interventional procedures.

Diagnostic procedures

Our experienced team uses many diagnostic procedures to determine conditions including:

• 3-D electrophysiology mapping: Procedure that is used to diagnose the origins of arrhythmias
• Ambulatory EKG: An EKG that records the electrical activity of your heart while you do your usual activities
• Angiogram: Procedure that uses x-ray imaging to see your heart's blood vessels
• Dobutamine echo: Test to determine if there is a decreased supply of blood and oxygen to the heart at rest as well as with exercise
• Echocardiogram: Ultrasound to show how your heart muscle and valves are working
• EKG (electrocardiogram): A simple, painless procedure that measures electrical signals in your heart
• Exercise stress testing: A stress test that allows your physician to see how your heart responds to exercise using a treadmill or medication to speed up your heart rate
• Holter monitoring: Uses electrodes and a recording device to track your heart's rhythm for 24 to 72 hours
• Intravascular ultrasound: Diagnostic procedure used to view the inside of a coronary artery
• Transesophageal echo: Alternative way to perform an echocardiogram

Interventional procedures

Our interventional procedures include:

• Ablation and hybrid ablation
• Angioplasty (procedure to open blocked coronary arteries and restore blood flow)
• Atherosclerosis atherectomy
• Cardiac resynchronization therapy (treatment to help correct serious heart rhythm problems)
• Cardioversion (procedure used to return an abnormal heartbeat to a normal rhythm)
• Coronary artery stent placement
• MRI-compatible defibrillator placement
• MRI-compatible pacemaker placement
• Pericardiocentesis

Cardiovascular disease

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. It is essential to know and recognize the warning signs of cardiovascular emergencies, like heart attack and stroke. Calling 911 when you or someone else has symptoms of cardiovascular emergencies ensures medical care is provided as quickly as possible. Fast medical attention is critical to prevent long-term damage and to save a life.

Heart attack symptoms

A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked. The blockage is caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries leading to the heart.

If you observe any of these heart attack symptoms, call 911 right away:

• Chest discomfort, such as pressure or squeezing
• Discomfort in arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Cold sweat
• Nausea/vomiting
• Lightheadedness
• Fatigue/weakness

Stroke symptoms

Stroke symptoms occur suddenly and differ depending on the part of the brain affected. Brain tissue dies quickly when deprived of oxygen, which is why it's important to get help immediately.

If you observe any of these stroke symptoms, call 911 right away:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, leg or arm
• Abrupt loss of vision
• Abrupt loss of coordination/strength
• Difficulty speaking or understanding speech
• Sudden severe headache
• Loss of balance with nausea/vomiting

Electrophysiology

Electrophysiology (EP) services at West Valley provide highly specialized treatments for patients with heart arrhythmia problems.

Heart rhythm disorders can be treated with medications or with a wide range of electrophysiology services, including:

• Ablation and hybrid ablation
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Cardiac resynchronization therapy
• Cardioversion
• Leadless pacemaker
• MRI-compatible pacemaker placement
• MRI-compatible ICD placement

We offer pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation as part of our comprehensive cardiology services. Pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that helps you return to a healthy, productive lifestyle following a life-changing heart or lung diagnosis.

All patients with cardiovascular or chronic lung conditions are able to receive cardiac rehab. Some cardiac or lung conditions helped by rehabilitation may include:

• Angina
• Angioplasty/stent
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart attack
• Heart failure

Your physician must refer you to our cardiac rehab program by letter or phone call. Your physician will be kept informed of your rehabilitation progress with monthly reports and direct communication when necessary.

How our cardiac rehab program works

Typically, cardiac and pulmonary rehab patients will complete three 60- to 90-minute sessions of exercise, education and counseling per week for up to 12 weeks following the initial recovery from their cardiac event.

Before you begin exercising, you will complete a thorough pre-entrance exam. Within the guidelines of your prescription and under the supervision of our staff, you will participate in a variety of appropriate exercise activities. As you recover, we will gradually increase the intensity of your activities according to your level of fitness.

Heart health education

Our cardiac rehab program in Caldwell, Idaho includes ongoing education on heart health, which is intended to give you an understanding of what’s necessary to achieve a lifetime of wellness.

Heart health education topics include:

• Exercise for cardiovascular fitness
• Heart-healthy nutrition
• High cholesterol
• Smoking cessation
• Stress management
• Weight control

Hands-only CPR

If a teen or adult suddenly collapses and is not breathing, you could save them by knowing this heart-smart version of a popular tune.

• Call 911.
• Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of "Stayin' Alive" — the perfect rhythm for hands-only CPR.

Continue compressions until help arrives. To avoid tiring quickly, lock your elbows and keep your arms straight and your shoulders down in a relaxed position (not up by your ears). Use your body weight, not your arms, to push. If another person is there, you can take turns if you need a rest.

Here are some great videos from the American Heart Association to help you learn hands-only CPR:

Learn Hands-Only CPR from the American Red Cross

Hands-Only CPR Instructional Video