CRMC-West
214 E. 23 St. Cheyenne, WY 82001
CRMC-East
2600 E. 18 St. Cheyenne, WY 82001
Health
& Fitness 1620 E. Pershing, Cheyenne, WY 82001
(307) 634-CARE
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The Heart Center at Cheyenne Regional can help control chaotic hearts
CHEYENNE – The Heart Center at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center joins many top hospitals in the nation equipped to reduce the risk of death from cardiac arrest by using Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICD). Cardiac arrest- the sudden failure of the heart to pump blood- claims about 335,000 lives each year in the United States, according to the American Heart Association.
“ICD is the most important way we have to reduce death from heart failure- more important than any medication available today,” said Timothy Gardner, MD, Medical Director of Cheyenne Regional’s Heart Center. The heart has a natural pacemaker that sends electrical pulses through the heart, regulating the beat and moving blood throughout the body. When the electrical system of the heart is disrupted, a person is said to have an arrhythmia (irregular heart beat).
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is designed to quickly detect these life-threatening arrhythmias and prevent sudden cardiac death.
An ICD is a pager-sized device that is surgically implanted in the chest, much like a pacemaker, that continuously monitors heartbeat and delivers precisely calibrated electrical shocks to restore a normal heart rhythm. The ICD shocks the heart relatively the same as electrified paddles, only internally and automatically. The small battery powered device is placed under the patient’s skin, usually below the left collarbone. Flexible, insulated wires run from the ICD through the patient’s veins to the lower chambers of the heart.
“Not many hospitals nationwide offer ICDs because it requires specialized training for healthcare experts,” said Dr. Gardner. The most common heart-rhythm disorders that lead to cardiac arrest are ventricular tachycardia, a dangerously fast heartbeat, and ventricular fibrillation, a rapid and chaotic heartbeat that causes the ventricle to quiver ineffectively. Arrhythmias may be caused by many different factors, including: coronary artery disease, electrolyte imbalances in the blood, changes in the heart muscle, injury from a heart attack and healing process after heart surgery. Irregular heart rhythms can also occur in "normal, healthy" hearts.
Patients who are deemed high risk for the development of these dangerous arrhythmias will often be treated with an implanted device so that they are permanently protected without need for intervention from bystanders or emergency personnel. Cheyenne Regional is a 218-bed premier regional healthcare system that prides itself on delivering extraordinary patient care for the region. We meet the highest standards of quality for our patients and we extend our capabilities with advanced procedures and leading technologies to help heal in the healing process. We offer excellent care in a range of specialties and subspecialties including neuroscience, oncology, cardiology and trauma.
-CRMC-
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E-mail: webmaster | Last Updated: June 1, 2005 | Copyright © 2004 CRMC
