Monday, February 1, 2010
Hoag Hospital Focuses February’s Heart Month on Heart Valve Disease
Newport Beach, Calif. – This February, Hoag Hospital is participating in national Heart Awareness Month, with a focus on heart valve disease. While heart valve disease cannot be prevented, it can be detected and treated early.
According to the American Heart Association, approximately five million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease each year. Heart valve disease occurs when the heart’s valves are not functioning properly, and can develop before birth (congenital), or can be acquired at some point later in life.
Symptoms of heart valve disease may include:
- Shortness of breath and/or difficulty catching your breath
- Weakness or dizziness
- Discomfort or pressure in your chest
- Palpitations (a rapid heart rhythm, irregular heartbeat, skipped beats, or a flip-flop feeling in your chest)
- Swelling of your ankles, feet, or abdomen
- Rapid weight gain
“Treatment of heart valve disease depends on the type and severity of the disease,” says Aidan A. Raney, M.D., medical director of cardiovascular surgery at Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute. “At Hoag, we strive to protect a patient’s valve from further damage, lessen symptoms and repair or replace the damaged valves, giving every patient their best chance of returning to optimum health.”
A 2009 winner of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters, Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute is the highest volume cardiovascular program in Orange County. Hoag performs more than 400 heart surgeries every year and the cardiovascular surgical team at Hoag Valve Center repairs more heart valves than 90 percent of all other cardiac programs in the country. Hoag combines the expertise of internationally recognized cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons with state-of-the-art technology, to offer patients world-class care at a dedicated center.
Details about detecting and treating heart valve disease will be presented at Hoag Hospital’s various community education classes and screenings held throughout February.
Additionally, through a generous grant from Edwards Lifesciences, Hoag offers free valve screening specifically for seniors, 65+, who have not had previous heart valve surgery and have not been diagnosed with heart valve disease. For more information on this screening, or to register, call 949/764-VALVE (8258).
For more details about heart valve disease, please visit www.hoaghospital.org/heartmonth or call the Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute at 949/764-5871.
About Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute
A 2009 winner of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters, Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute’s physicians and nurses lead the way in cardiovascular care. Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute is Orange County’s highest-volume, highest-rated cardiovascular program and one of the preeminent cardiovascular centers on the West Coast. With angioplasty and cardiac stent placement services available 24/7, and response times from the ER to the cardiac cath lab that are nearly 20 percent faster than the national average, Hoag is a proven leader in emergency heart care. Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute offers the latest in cardiovascular medicine with advanced and pioneering surgical techniques including minimally invasive heart surgery, ablation for treatment of arrhythmias, and coronary artery bypass surgery with endoscopic vein harvesting. Additionally, Hoag’s valve surgery program is internationally recognized for expertise in complex valve surgery and mitral valve repair.
About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (www.hoag.org ) is a 498-bed, non-profit, acute care hospital located in Newport Beach, Calif. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag offers a comprehensive mix of health care services, including Centers of Excellence in cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, orthopedics and women’s health. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County’s most preferred hospital for the past 14 consecutive years. And for an unprecedented 14 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county’s best hospital in a local newspaper survey. In order to meet the growing needs of Irvine and South County residents, Hoag will open an Irvine campus in 2010. Hoag continues to offer additional services to the community through the seven Hoag Health Centers located throughout Orange County.
