Cardiology
 

Cardiology at Cottage Health System is committed to providing the highest standard of diagnostic and therapeutic services to the community and to function as a regional referral center for all cardiac patient care.  Outstanding cardiac physicians, nurses, technologists and support staff are dedicated to providing that care through the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of conditions and disorders of the heart and vascular system.  The physicians, nurses and technologists are experts in the use of the state-of-the-art technology and therapeutic procedures as well as having the training and experience to identify and treat cardiac emergencies.  Our three emergency departments are always open and ready to evaluate and relieve chest pain.

Non-invasive diagnostic testing encompasses heart rhythm tests and procedures performed to evaluate heart function, primarily to evaluate valves and chambers of the heart, check the pumping function of the heart, and as a follow-up after a heart attack or cardiac surgery. Electrocardiograms are performed in a variety of settings including the Emergency Department and patient bedsides, and monitored over extended periods of time, such as Holter monitoring.  Echocardiography exams including  transthoracic echocardiograms, transesophageal echocardiograms and stress echocardiograms are performed on both adult and pediatric patients. The stress echocardiogram is particularly useful as a screening test for heart disease.

Invasive procedures such as cardiac catheterization, angiography, and electrophysiology studies allow doctors to diagnose heart and blood vessel conditions with greater precision and accuracy due to the continued evolution of technology available.  Our Cardiac Catheterization Lab enables cardiologists the ability to perform a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for coronary artery disease, heart muscle function, and heart valve dysfunction. 

Newer diagnostic tools such as intravascular ultrasound and intra-cardiac echocardiography are available to complement the improved angiographic roadmap of the heart.  Angioplasty is performed on coronary arteries as well as narrowed vessels in other parts of the body using atherectomy or plaque removal devices and stents.  Congenital defects between heart chambers are also being repaired in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab with non-surgical catheter delivery systems. 

A wide range of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) is performed in the Electrophysiology Laboratory.  These procedures include arrhythmia mapping, catheter ablation for cardiac arrhythmias using radiofrequency and cryoablation, and the implantation of cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers.  Our cardiac care continues through each phase of the recovery process with our hospitals’ cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Several cardiac-related clinical trials and research studies are being conducted at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. These studies are part of the continuing effort to discover new and better treatments for heart disease.