services

Non-Invasive

These procedures are done in our office, do not cause discomfort, and are not complicated.

– Echocardiography
– Stress test:
     Regular treadmill stress test
     Echocardiography stress test
     Nuclear stress testing
– Cardiac PET/CT: One of the few offices in NJ that offer this state-of-the-art test to evaluate for coronary artery disease. 
– Vascular Imaging: carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease, renal artery disease, aortic aneurysm, and venous disease. 
– Pacemaker and defibrillation interrogation
– Electrocardiogram (EKG)
– Arythmia monitoring (Holter monitors, and longer-term event monitoring)
– Routine blood work laboratory
– Coumadin clinic
– Ambulatory blood pressure monitor

Interventional / Invasive

Interventional procedures diagnose and treat diseases related to coronary artery, vascular, etc. where as the invasive procedures use open or minimally-invasive surgery to identify / treat  structural or electrical abnormalities.

Invasive procedures are done at RWJ University Hospital at Somerset or Morristown Medical Center.

– Cardiac catheterization
– Coronary artery intervention ie stents, angioplasty
– Emergent Coronary intervention for myocardial infarction
– Coronary CTA
– Peripheral artery angiogram and intervention
– Transesophageal echocardiogram
– General hospital cardiac care including post heart surgery follow up.
– Cardiac critical care
– Electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation

Echocardiography

Echocardiography or an “echo” uses sound waves to create images of the heart. During this procedure, a technologist uses a hand-held scanning device that creates digital images for a cardiologist to review.

These images help the cardiologist learn more about heart size and function, including the chambers and valves. Sometimes this is performed both prior to and after stress testing to improve detection of coronary artery blockages.

Nuclear Cardiology

Also referred to as a “nuclear stress test” or “stress cardiolite” study, nuclear cardiac imaging is used in conjunction with stress testing to improve the detection of coronary artery blockages.

This image allows the cardiologist to detect coronary artery blockages by looking for past and potential future heart muscle damage.

Stress Testing

Cardiac stress tests such as Adenosine stress testing can tell your doctor if your heart is being adversely affected by your day-to-day stresses.

At Affinity Hear Care, stress tests are performed by our medical professionals in order to obtain an assessment of the amount of real-world stress (physical stress) your heart can handle before indicating evidence of irregular heart rhythm or ischemia (insufficient blood flow to the heart).

Cardiac Catheterization / Invasive Coronary Angiogram

Performed by a cardiologist at the Morristown or Somerset medical center, a catheter is inserted through a small hole in the femoral artery and advanced through the aorta to the heart and is used to inject x-ray dye into the heart and coronary arteries and to measure pressures inside the heart.

This procedure is performed under light sedation.

Coronary Angioplasty / Stenting

If a cardiologist discovers a severe coronary artery blockage while performing a cardiac catheterization (angiogram), he or she may decide to open the blockage with angioplasty.

During this procedure, the cardiologist inserts a special balloon-tipped catheter into the blockage and inflates the balloon to open the artery.

This procedure is done at the Morristown or Somerset medical center.

Vascular Ultrasound / Testing

Ultrasound is the primary test for peripheral vascular disease. This is a non-invasive and completely painless way for your doctor to assess the blood flow through important arteries.

This procedure does not require the needles, dyes, radiation, or anesthesia.