Services

A coronary computed tomography angiogram (CTA) uses advanced CT technology along with intravenous dye to obtain high-resolution three-dimensional pictures of the moving heart and great vessels to detect blockages.

A nuclear stress test measures blood flow to the heart muscle both at rest and during stress. The procedure combines a routine exercise stress test with images obtained by using a radioactive isotope. These images show areas of low blood flow through the heart and areas of damaged heart muscle.

A heart positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a diagnostic tool that produces three-dimensional images of the heart to detect poor blood flow, heart damage and/or scar tissue in the heart with the use of a radioactive isotope. Cardiac PET is offered at our Robbinsdale clinic location.

North Memorial Heart & Vascular Institute’s cardiothoracic surgeons are skilled in a variety of complex operations inside the chest (thorax). This could range from open-heart surgery to repair of blood vessels. They provide services at North Memorial Medical Center and Hennepin County Medical Center.

North Memorial Heart & Vascular Institute offers its patient’s choices in providing outstanding, innovative heart and vascular care at North Memorial Medical Center and our four cardiology clinics. Our team of cardiologists and advanced practice practitioners provide preventative care, treatment of cardiac risk factors, management of one’s coronary artery disease, pacemaker interrogation, anticoagulation management and many more specialty services are available to our patient’s at many of our locations.

North Memorial has the expertise and superior technology to provide advanced interventional procedures for accurate diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.

North Memorial’s Emergency Department and Heart & Vascular Institute, together, provide emergency heart attack care that ranks among the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation. The primary goal during a heart attack is to open a blocked artery as soon as possible with a specialized balloon and/or stent. The faster the artery is opened, the better the outcome for the patient. The national average for this “door-to-balloon” time is 90 minutes. At North Memorial our average is 47 minutes.

Our accredited cardiac rehabilitation program provides monitored exercise, education and support to those recovering from heart surgery, heart attack, angioplasty/stent placement and other heart conditions. A multidisciplinary team of registered nurses, cardiac exercise specialists and dieticians allows each patient’s treatment plan to be individualized to meet his/her specific goals and is overseen by a cardiologist.

North Memorial Heart & Vascular Institute offers vascular ultrasound evaluation for patient’s experiencing from symptomatic varicose veins or venous insufficiencies, a condition in which the veins have problems sending blood from the legs back to the heart. If treatment is recommended, our interventional cardiologist’s use the latest technology known as Endovenous Laster Treatment (EVLT).

An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound test that uses sound waves to produce images of the heart’s structures, pumping function and direction of blood flow. We offer same or next day scheduling of outpatient and inpatient echocardiography (EKG) when available. Our board-certified cardiologists interpret all echocardiography exams.

A cardiac stress test is a diagnostic tool used to measure adequate blood flow to the heart muscle, assess arrhythmias, quantify functional capacity and evaluate heart rate and/or blood pressure response with exercise. Stimulation can be achieved via exercise on a treadmill or pharmacologically and may be paired with imaging procedures, for example, echocardiogram or nuclear medicine.

Vascular ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure that uses sound waves to examine blood flow within the arteries and veins. This procedure is generally performed if a clot is suspected and can help lead to faster diagnosis and treatment.