At AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center, we take great pride in the cardiovascular care and services we offer to our heart patients.
Our Heart Center has a dedicated cardiovascular service line within the hospital. Our staff, along with our physicians have specialized training to care for the specific needs of our cardiac patients. Whether you are coming to the hospital for a simple test or are undergoing open-heart surgery, all of your needs will be met by the dedicated team working in our Heart Center. We understand the importance of preventive measures and taking early action to avoid or reduce the risk of heart disease, but the Heart Center can also respond quickly to sudden situations that may require emergency surgery or testing.
At AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center our Cardiovascular service line provides our patients with complete and comprehensive care. We have many services which include:
- A wide spectrum of state of the art diagnostic technologies
- Treatment facilitated by evidence-based medicine
- Utilization of leading therapies
- Highly trained specialists
- Education by experienced nurses
- Support services ranging from risk factor identification, screening, rehabilitation, and the heart failure clinic support
Why AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center?
At AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center, not only can you expect to receive high-quality medical care, treatment, and attention from some of the best cardiac surgeons and doctors in California, but you will also be able to take advantage of the many services provided at the Heart Center, such as access to community outreach programs, nursing units devoted specifically to heart patients, access to state-of-the-art technology, an entire unit dedicated exclusively to women's heart health, and access to rehabilitation and recovery services.
For more information about The Heart Center or about our Heart Services, please call:
The Cardiology Department
(714) 999-3951
1111 W. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92801
Cardiovascular Services at Anaheim Regional Medical Center
Diagnostic Services
Cardiovascular Disease Management
Tobacco Cessation
Women's Heart Center -- Heart Matters
Vascular Services
Diagnostic Services
Outpatient Screenings
The Heart Center at Anaheim Regional Medical Center offers our patients outpatient screenings. Many of the diagnostic tests listed below can be done on an outpatient basis. For more information about our services, please contact the Cardiology Department at (714) 999-3951.
Angiogram
An angiogram allows your clinician to view the blood vessels or chambers within your heart.
- A catheter (a very small tube) will be inserted into a blood vessel in your upper thigh or into your arm.
- Once the tube is inserted, a special dye will be injected into the catheter.
- This fluid is visible on X-ray pictures, known as angiograms.
Cardiac Catheterization
A cardiac catheterization, also known as a coronary angiogram, refers to a test that assesses the blood flow within the arteries that supply blood to your heart.
- Cardiac catheterization will:
- Look specifically at blood flow and blood pressure within the chambers of the heart
- Assess how well heart valves work
- Determine if there are any abnormalities within the heart itself
If a cardiac catheterization shows that you have coronary artery disease, it is possible to determine an exact location of where there is a concentration of plaque (calcium deposits that block blood from flowing through blood vessels). For more information about our Vascular Services, please click here.
Echocardiogram (Echo)
An echocardiogram is an imaging test that uses sound waves to check the heart function and anatomy. It is a valuable diagnostic tool to provide information on the heart size, wall thickness, and pumping ability. The echocardiogram identifies structure, thickness, and movement of each heart valve. It helps determine if the valve is normal, scarred, thickened, calcified, or torn. It also assesses artificial heart valve function. An echocardiogram is useful in the diagnosis of fluid in the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart). The test is extremely safe and takes approximately 45 minutes or less.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
An electrocardiogram records the electrical activity of the heart through small electrode patches that are attached to the skin of your chest, arms, and legs. An ECG can be used to: assess the rhythm of the heart, diagnose poor blood flow to the heart (ischemia), diagnose a heart attack, and evaluate certain abnormalities of the heart.
Electrophysiology Test (EP)
An electrophysiology test is a test that records the electrical activity within the electrical pathways of the heart. During this assessment, your physician will reproduce the abnormal heart rhythm, to record and analyze it. An EP is used to diagnose abnormal heart rhythms because this can tell a physician where the electrical activity is that is causing an abnormal heart rhythm. An EP can also help a physician determine the best course of treatment for the abnormal heart beat.
Endomyocardial Biopsy
This procedure involves removing a small amount of tissue through the use of a catheter that is able to remove tissue. Tissue from within the internal lining may be used by your physician for further analysis of the health of your heart. A biopsy of this nature can help diagnose and treat heart muscle disorders. It can also indicate rejection of a new heart after a heart transplant operation.
Holter Monitor
A holter monitor is a machine that is continuously records the heart's rhythms (like a small portable ECG) and is worn for 24-48 hours. Electrodes from the monitor are attached to your skin; you are able to go about your day (except for showering) while the electrodes record your heart rhythm. A holter monitor may be recommended by physicians for individuals who may have an abnormal heart rhythm or if your physician suspects ischemia.
Nuclear Imaging
Small amounts of (non-harmful) radioactive material that is injected into a vein, images can be created that show how blood flows through your heart. Your physician will be able to see: the size of the chambers within your heart, how well each chamber pumps and circulates blood, and any muscular damage to the heart can be detected.
Pacemaker Interrogation
A pacemaker is a device that is implanted into the chest to help control abnormal heart rhythms. Electrical pulses are used to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. Pacemakers are used to treat arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. A heartbeat that is faster than normal, tachycardia, can be treated with the use of a pacemaker; bradycardia, or a slower than normal heart beat can be treated as well.
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Biventricular Pacemaker (Bi-V)
A Bi-Ventricular pacemaker is an implanted device that can stimulate (through electrical pulses), manage, and coordinate the beating of the right and left ventricles of the heart (2 of the main chambers of the heart). This type of a pacemaker is normally used for patients who have congestive heart failure that is cause by ventricles that beat out of sync.
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Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)
- An ICD is similar to a pacemaker. Instead of using low-energy electrical pulses, an ICD can also use high-energy electrical pulses to treat the most dangerous types of arrhythmias.
Stress Test/Treadmill
An exercise stress test helps the doctor find out how well the heart handles work. It records the heart rhythm while walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike at a moderate then fast pace. This test helps evaluate the cause of chest pain. It also evaluates the strength of the heart after a heart attack or heart surgery. The test can show if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart. These changes can be measured on the electrocardiogram while the patient is exercising and during the recovery phase of the stress test. Small pads called electrodes are placed on the patient's chest to monitor the heart. The patient walks slowly on the treadmill and the speed increases in stages. Heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and exercise tolerance are monitored during the test.
A Head-Up Tilt Table
A tilt-table test is used to find the cause of fainting spells. The test involves being tilted at different angles (30 to 60 degrees) while lying flat on a bed for a short period of time, while various machines monitor your blood pressure, electrical impulses in your heart (as measured by an ECG), and oxygen levels.
Cardiovascular Disease Management
Cardiac Arrhythmias
To function efficiently and to provide the optimal amount of oxygenated blood your body needs with each beat, your heart's rhythm must be regular and even. A rate that is too slow, too fast, or very irregular overworks the heart. Often, the stress of this can lead to other cardiac conditions. Normal heart rates range between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
Your heart is normally controlled by an electrical impulse that originates in a small mass of muscle tissue within the upper right chamber of your heart. This specialized tissue is the sinoatrial node ( or S-A node), the heart's "natural pacemaker." The S-A node sends electrical signals that tell the heart muscle to contract, pumping blood from the heart to other parts of the body.
An arrhythmia is any deviation from or disturbance of the normal heart rhythm - too fast, too slow, and/or irregular. They are common: 2.2 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation, which is just one type of rhythm problem.
The treatment for heart rhythm disorders depends upon the type, duration, and symptoms. No matter the type of heart rhythm disorder, the treatment goals are the same: control the heart rate, prevention formation of clots, and restore the normal heart rhythm when possible. The arrhythmia treatment ranges from conservative (medication therapy) to aggressive (complex surgical procedures). Optimal treatment is determined by your physician based on your specific needs.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder. There are more than two million people in the United States with AF; however, many people have no symptoms. AF often develops in individuals who have high blood pressure, heart failure and/or disease of the heart's arteries or valves. It's most common in elderly individuals, occurring in 17% of people over 80 years of age.
Caused by electrical activity problems in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria), AF results in an irregular and inefficient rhythm which is often coupled with a heart rate that is faster or slower than normal. AF can also lead to heart failure if tissue damage is present. When the atria fibrillate, the blood tends to pool in the atrial chambers, leading to the formation of clots. These blood clots can leave the atria, travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
One-third of the people with AF do not have symptoms. The problem is sometimes discovered during a routine physical examination.
Atrial fibrillation can recur at different times and can be quite uncomfortable and frightening. It can also interfere with a person's daily activities and impact their quality of life. Treatment requires an individualized approach and can include medications. Almost everyone with AF is required to take a blood-thinning drug to prevent the formation of clots within the atrial chambers. Your cardiologist and primary care physician will both play an important role in the regulation of your medication and will work together to help you manage AF.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
A cardiac rehabilitation program may involve a combination of: monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support, and education about lifestyle changes to reduce your risks of heart problems. The goals of our cardiac rehabilitation program are to help you regain your strength, prevention your current health condition from worsening, and reducing your risk of future heart problems.
The cardiac rehabilitation program at Anaheim Regional Medical Center is designed to help you recover from a heart attack, or any other heart disease or surgery that may have been performed to treat heart disease. For more information about our Cardiac Rehabilitation Services, please call (714) 999-6035.
Cardiac Receiving Center
AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center's Emergency Department is a designated cardiac receiving center for STEMI patients. An ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) is a form of heart attack*, and it is important that those who experience a STEMI be treated within 90 minutes of the first onset of symptoms. Orange County residents with chest pain who call 9-1-1 will automatically be directed to a STEMI center, where our cardiac expertise and facilities are ready 24-hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. The STEMI receiving team works in conjunction with the cardiovascular department to provide the best cardiac care available.
*heart attack, known as a myocardial infarction, occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle is blocked. This usually occurs when there is a clot within the coronary artery. A blockage of this nature would result in an abnormal heart rhythm, decreased blood flow to and from the heart, and may result in a sudden sharp shooting pain in any of the following areas: the left shoulder or arm, down your back, around your neck, in your jaws, or beneath your breast bone.
Heart Failure Program
Heart failure means that your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. Over time, certain heart conditions, such as narrowed arteries (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure gradually leave your heart too weak or too stiff to pump and receive blood efficiently.
The Heart Failure program at Anaheim Regional Medical Center seeks to help individuals and their families through the use of a range of different services from education on lifestyle modifications to medication management. Our highly specialized staff will work with you to help you achieve a higher quality of life and decrease the amount of time you spend hospitalized as a result of heart failure. For more information about the Heart Failure Program, please call (714) 999-2848.
Open Heart Surgery
Anaheim Regional Medical Center has the second largest volume of open heart surgeries in Orange County. Our physicians are specially trained in cardiovascular surgery and seek to provide our patients with high-quality comprehensive medical care that is specific to your needs. For more information about our Open Heart Surgery Services, please call (714) 774-1450.
FREE Tobacco Cessation Program
We can help you quit smoking for free! 
Anaheim Regional Medical Center offers a free tobacco cessation program to help you become tobacco free. All services address issues such as identifying triggers, developing coping skills, making lifestyle changes, creating a support system, preventing a relapse, and more.
Our Free Tobacco Cessation Program Provides:
- A Five-week cessation class series
- Single meeting educational seminar
- Individual counseling sessions
- Telephone hot-line
- Support group
If you are interested in the Tobacco Cessation Program, click here to see future program dates. If you have any questions about the program or would like more information, please call: (714) 999-3991.
Heart Matters
Anaheim Regional's Heart Matters program is focused on empowering women through awareness and education related to heart disease, reducing their risk of developing heart disease which is the number one cause of death among women in the United States.
Screenings offered: 
- Personal Cardiovascular Screening $50.00
- Cholesterol Screening $20.00
- Echocardiogram $150.00
Fore more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Heart
Matters at: (714) 999-5262.
For more information about The Heart Center at Anaheim
Regional Medical Center please call:
The Cardiovascular Department
(714) 999-3951
1111 W. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim, CA
92801