Cardiology Our cardiologists offer comprehensive evaluation and management of diseases of the heart and circulatory system and work with primary care physicians to ensure coordinated, continuous care. Our faculty have expertise in every aspect of cardiac care, ranging from standard procedures such as outpatient consultation, echocardiography, and angiography to advanced clinical research into heart failure, preventive cardiology, and radio-frequency ablation. Special services include physical fitness evaluation, non-invasive and invasive studies, interventional procedures, and radioisotope examinations of the heart. Heart Attack What is a heart attack? A heart attack is the result of blocked blood flow to a section of the heart muscle. If the blood flow is not restored quickly, the heart muscle becomes damaged from oxygen deprivation and begins to die. Heart attack most often occurs as the result of coronary artery disease — a buildup of plaque inside the coronary arteries. Risk factors for coronary artery disease and heart attack include age, family history, smoking, and being overweight or obese. Symptoms Chest discomfort or pain characterized by an uncomfortable pressure or squeezing in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. This pain can be mild or strong. Pain in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. Shortness of breath with or before chest pain. Other signs: nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness or fainting, or cold sweats. Treatment The WVU Heart Institute has the doctors, technology, and facilities to make a rapid diagnosis and take quick effective action 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We’ve refined our coordination and teamwork to a science. For a heart attack patient, “door to balloon” is the time from arrival at the hospital until the start of balloon angioplasty. The national goal for “door to balloon” is 90 minutes. The WVU Heart Institute far exceeds that goal. Balloon angioplasty opens coronary arteries, restores blood flow to the heart muscle, and decreases the patient’s risk of disability or death. If you think you’re having a heart attack … Call 911 immediately. Interventional Cardiology Interventional cardiologists use non-surgical techniques — usually by running a catheter through the arteries into and around the heart — to repair the blockages that cut off the flow of blood in and out of the heart. Our cardiologists perform angioplasties, in which a balloon attached to the catheter clears the arteries, and are also experienced in the use of stents. In addition to traditional stents, WVU uses drug-eluting stents, which deliver medication directly to the site of the blockage. At the Heart Institute, we perform between 1,500 to 1,800 angioplasties and stent placements annually. For a heart attack patient, “door to balloon” is the time from arrival at the hospital until the start of balloon angioplasty. The national goal for “door to balloon” is 90 minutes. The WVU Heart Institute far exceeds that goal. We have the doctors, technology, and facilities, including our cardiac labs, to make a rapid diagnosis and take quick, effective action 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We’ve refined our coordination and teamwork to a science. Treatments/procedures performed at the WVU Heart Institute include: Ablation Angioplasty Atherectomy Balloon valvuloplasty Cardiac catheterization Cardiac resynchronization therapy Clot extraction Cutting catheter or "Pac-Man" surgery for patients with chronic total occlusions (CTOs) Diagnostic catheterization for evaluation of coronary artery and valvular heart disease (Intravascular ultrasound and flow wire available) Interpretation of both invasive and non-invasive cardiac testing Noninvasive cardiac evaluation with stress/nuclear and stress/echocardiogram Pacemaker Preoperative cardiac evaluation prior to non-cardiac surgery Renal and peripheral artery stenting Stenting Physicians Robert James Beto, MD, FACC, FSCAI Wissam Gharib, MD, FACC Abnash Jain, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI Jason Moreland, MD Brad Warden, MD, FACC, FSCAI Medical Cardiology The Medical Cardiology section of the WVU Heart Institute offers comprehensive evaluation, consultation, and management of diseases of the heart and circulatory system. Our team of experts treats patients with a variety of conditions, including: Angina Aortic aneurysms Aortic diseases Atrial fibrillation Atrial flutter Atrial tachycardia Bradycardia Cardiac arrhythmias Cardiomyopathy Chest pains Congestive heart failure Coronary artery disease Endocarditis Heart failure Heart rate abnormalities Heart tumors High cholesterol Hypertension Irregular heartbeats Marfan syndrome Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) Myocarditis Palpitations Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia Pericardial disease Peripheral arterial disease Pulmonary hypertension Shortness of breath Supraventricular tachycardia Syncope Valvular heart disease Center for Congestive Heart Failure The Center for Congestive Heart Failure, the only such center in the region, is an area of special interest at WVU. It provides IV inotropic therapy to stable outpatients with advanced heart failure, with a goal of improving functional level and avoiding hospitalization. The Center is an important resource for the state, reducing the number of emergency room visits and lowering health costs for heart patients. Many patients receive treatment with drugs. The treatments are especially useful for patients who are at the maximum dosages of other heart drugs, people awaiting a heart transplant, or people who have a heart muscle disease. The treatment also helps patients breathe more easily. Another option for the intractable angina patient who fails to respond to conventional treatment is a non-invasive technique called Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP). It involves placing blood pressure cuffs on the lower extremities to force blood from the heart into the vessels. Physicians Conard F. Failinger, MD, FACC, FASE Mitchell S. Finkel, MD, FACC, FACP Anthony Morise, MD, FACC David Tingler, MD