UF Health Medical Group Cardiology – Tavares

Heart and Vascular Care

Here for your heart

Your first choice for advanced heart care in Central Florida.

UF Health Medical Group Cardiology – Tavares is part of UF Health, the University of Florida’s nationally recognized academic health center, which combines outstanding clinical care with leading-edge research.

Our accomplished team has access to the most advanced technology available, and offer state-of-the art diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative cardiac services.

Heart care services

Our experts at UF Health Medical Group Cardiology provide comprehensive evaluation and compassionate treatment for patients living in Tavares, Mount Dora, Leesburg, Eustis and other surrounding areas in Lake County. Led by board-certified interventional cardiologist Dr. Alex Caballero, most of the state-of-the-art procedures we offer can be conveniently performed right in our office.

Highlighted below is a list of the services we offer, along with a brief description.

Cardiac catheterization

During this minimally invasive procedure, a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through a small incision into a blood vessel — either in the groin, arm or neck — and then threaded to the heart. Ultrasound can be used simultaneously to look for blockages in coronary arteries. Tests can be performed and treatments administered. In a related procedure known as coronary angiography, dye is injected into the catheter and X-rays are taken to look for plaque buildup. Through cardiac catheterization, samples of muscle and blood can be taken to help determine a diagnosis.

Coronary intervention

In most cases, if a blockage is found during heart catheterization, it can be fixed by placing a small wire mesh tube, called a stent, in the vessel to prop it open, or by using a special balloon to widen it.

Loop recorder implantation

A loop recorder is a very small heart monitor that is placed under the skin during an office visit. This device allows your doctor to monitor the electrical activity of your heart remotely for as long as several years, if needed.

Peripheral angiogram

This test uses X-rays and contrast dye and a small tube placed into your artery to obtain real-time images that allow your doctor to diagnose blockages in the arteries that feed your arms, legs, kidneys and brain.

Peripheral imaging

Also known as PVI, peripheral vascular imaging is a noninvasive ultrasound procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the arteries in arms and legs, areas other than the heart. This imaging can also be used to check the arteries after arterial bypass surgery or placement of a stent.

Peripheral intervention

If a blockage is found during your peripheral angiogram, many times it can be opened in the same visit.

Radiofrequency venous ablation

If a venous ultrasound detects venous insufficiency (also known at leaky valves), we can perform a venous ablation, which will close off the unhealthy vein and reroute blood so it can travel back to the heart through healthy veins.

Heart diagnostics tests

We perform diagnostic tests that are important for the detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. See below for a list of the tests we offer, with information about each.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)

Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when leg veins do not allow blood to flow back to the heart. Normally, valves in the leg veins ensure that blood flows toward the heart. However, blood can also flow backward when these valves do not work well. This can result in blood pooling in the legs. Left untreated, this condition can cause pain, swelling, cramps, varicose veins, leg ulcers and skin changes.

Symptoms of CVI
Symptoms of CVI include swelling of legs or ankles, varicose veins, brown-colored skin near the ankles, tight calves or itchy, painful legs, and/or restless leg syndrome. Some patients also experience painful leg cramps, muscle spasms and leg ulcers.

Diagnosis
To diagnose CVI, we conduct an exam and take a comprehensive medical history. We also perform a Duplex ultrasound, an imaging test that examines the blood flow and structure of veins in the legs, as well as the direction and speed of blood flow in the vessels.

Treatment
Treatment for CVI may include medicines in combination with compression therapy, elevating the legs to improve blood flow and reduce swelling, regular exercise and the following procedures:

Endovenous Ablation
A minimally invasive procedure in which a catheter directs heat into the affected vein, which closes the vein. This lessens pooling and improves blood flow.

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

An electrocardiogram, commonly known as an ECG or EKG, collects and records information about the heart’s electrical activity through electrodes placed on the chest wall and connected to a machine . Results appear as a printed graph of activity on a computer screen. This diagnostic tool can detect dead tissue as well as areas of the heart that are deprived of oxygen. The electrocardiogram is a simple, noninvasive procedure that can be done in our office.

ECHO

Echocardiography uses ultrasound waves to form images of the heart chambers, valves and structures around the heart for the purpose of detecting abnormalities, infections and fluid build-up. The echocardiogram allows us to evaluate the heart and all its parts and surrounding structures.

Holter monitor for remote heart monitoring

A Holter monitor is a battery-operated portable device that continuously measures and records the heart’s activity, typically for 24 to 48 hours. It is the size of a small camera and has wires with electrodes that attach to the skin. This portable ECG can detect abnormal heart rhythms, as well as see how well medicines are working to control such problems. Whereas regular electrocardiograms record heart activity at one point in time, a Holter monitor records activity over the course of a few days during normal daily activities.

INR testing for Coumadin regulation

This procedure measures the length of time it takes for blood to clot, which helps determine if the dose of medications like warfarin, known by the tradename Coumadin, needs to be adjusted. The international normalized ratio, or INR, is the calculation used to quantify the results gathered from a test strip and read by a meter.

Loop recorders for long-term remote heart monitoring

An implantable loop recorder, or ILR, is a heart device that works like an electrocardiogram. It is implanted beneath the skin of the chest and continuously records electrical signals from the heart. The ILR is commonly used to detect causes of fainting, palpitations, irregular heartbeats and hidden rhythms, which, when undetected, can cause serious problems.

Pre-op clearance

This is a medical assessment performed before a patient has surgery. The goal is to assess a patient’s general medical condition and possibly identify conditions that could cause problems during surgery. In addition to a thorough physical exam and medical history, cardiac risk assessment may include an ECG and/or stress testing. Cardiac clearance for surgery may also include a chest X-ray to examine the lungs, a complete blood count, and testing of kidney and liver function as well as blood sugar levels. Preoperative clearance can provide peace of mind to the patient that the risk for complications during surgery will be low.

Stress testing

During a cardiac stress test, a patient walks on a treadmill, working the heart progressively harder while monitored by an ECG in a controlled clinical environment. The doctor also monitors blood pressure and symptoms such as fatigue or chest pain. The worsening of symptoms as the test progresses could indicate coronary artery disease, or CAD, caused by fatty deposits called plaque that interfere with the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. If a patient is unable to walk on a treadmill, a chemical stress test is performed. This simulates walking on the treadmill, allowing our team to visualize blood flow to the heart muscle.

Ultrasound Testing / Procedures

Noninvasive ultrasound technology, provided in the comfort of our office, can be used in many ways.

• Cardiac ultrasounds
  This test is used to analyze blood flow and function of the heart.
• Echocardiograms (ECHOS)
  An electrocardiogram uses 2-D and 3-D ultrasound to create an image of the heart. Doppler is used to examine blood flow through the heart and vessels.
• Stress Echo
  This test uses ultrasound to analyze blood flow during periods of rest and exercise-induced stress. We look to see how well the heart muscle is working and whether there is decreased blood flow to the heart. For patients who are unable to exercise because of certain conditions, a pharmaceutical stress echo is an alternative to the treadmill or exercise bike. This procedure uses medicine that is injected intravenously to stimulate the heart as if the patient were exercising.
• Vascular Ultrasound
  This form of ultrasound analyzes blood flow through arteries and veins.
• Vein Mapping
  Vein mapping provides information for the treatment of varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, leg swelling and other conditions.
• Carotid Ultrasound
  This noninvasive procedure examines the blood flow and structure of the carotid arteries in the neck to detect plaque build-up within the arteries.
• Upper and Lower Extremity Ultrasound
  This form of ultrasound is used in the diagnosis and evaluation of peripheral vascular disease.
• Abdominal Vasculature Ultrasound
  Abdominal vascular ultrasound analyzes the function of the blood vessels and the flow of blood in the abdominal aorta, renal artery and mesenteric arteries.