Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch: Department of сardiology

It carries out modern diagnostic procedures and therapy for cardiovascular diseases:

• Heart catheter — treatment of diseases of the coronary arteries and heart valves.
• Electrophysiological examination — analysis of cardiac arrhythmias.
• Cardio MRI — early and gentle diagnosis of heart disease.
• Pacemaker — stimulates the heart muscle during slow heartbeats.
• Ablation — treatment of an irregular heartbeat.
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) — continuous heart rate monitoring.
• Mitral valve clipping — Treatment of heart valve insufficiency.
• Closing the atrial appendage — preventing heart attack in atrial fibrillation.
• Heart failure — diagnosis and treatment of weak heart.

Heart catheter

Every year, doctors of the cardiology department conduct about 2,000 diagnostic examinations and 900 therapeutic interventions on the heart. For this, two modern cardiac catheter measuring stations are available around the clock! Cardiac catheters are used to diagnose or treat cardiovascular disease.

If necessary, therapy begins immediately after the diagnostic procedure, so a second appointment is not required.
In addition to 24/7 readiness for cardiac catheter insertion, the department has a certified chest pain unit (CPU). It allows you to treat heart attack patients without hindrance.

Diagnostics

Patients are offered such innovative diagnostic procedures:

• intravascular ultrasound examination (IVUS),
• measurement of intracoronary pressure,
• determination of the profile of intracoronary blood flow.

Depending on the vascular status or individual needs, access is via an artery of the thigh or forearm.

Therapy

During cardiac catheter treatment, the affected blood vessel is expanded to its natural size using a balloon (balloon angioplasty or PTCA).
Then a stent is inserted and prevents the vessels from re-narrowing. It can be uncoated or drug-coated. This procedure is known as coronary angioplasty or PCI for short (percutaneous coronary intervention).

Other popular methods are mitral clipping and closing of the atrial appendage.

EPU: ECG straight from the heart

Electrophysiological examination (EPU) is a special form of examination using a cardiac catheter.
EPU is required in case:

• suspicion of cardiac arrhythmia without the ability to conduct an ECG (electrocardiogram),
• repetitive heartbeat (tachycardic arrhythmia),
• before the ablation procedure.

The examination usually takes place under local anesthesia. Depending on the type of illness, it lasts from 30 minutes to two hours.