Our Services

Several venous and arterial studies can be completed right here at Idaho Heart Institute. From blood flow in the legs, to subclavian flow we can evaluate for abnormalities and formulate an appropriate plan of care.

We are lucky to have board certified heart failure specialists as part of our team at Idaho Heart Institute that take care of patients at both hospitals in Idaho Falls.  Part of this service includes knowledge and experience with advanced treatments such as ECMO and LVADs (Left ventricular assist devices).

An ASD is a hole in the wall that divides the two upper chambers of the heart. An ASD causes blood to flow through the defect, which causes more blood than usual to pass into the right chamber, called a left-to-right shunt. Overtime, this puts pressure on the right heart and pulmonary arteries. Treatment of an ASD depends upon the type and size of the defect or presence of any other congenital heart defects. ASD repair or closure may often be performed through a catheter procedure.

Procedure Time
Approximately 1 hour

Hospital Stay
Same-day discharge or possibly overnight

Follow-Up Care
Echocardiogram at six months and yearly thereafter

Sometimes the need arises for a Pacemaker or Automated Internal Cardiac Defibrillator (AICD). Our Physicians can diagnose this need, and do the implantation and after-care right here in Idaho Falls.

At Idaho Heart, Exercise Treadmill Test’s, as well as Nuclear Medicine Stress Tests are completed on site. Our trained staff can perform cardiac stress testing in a safe environment with a Physician nearby. The Nuclear Cardiology department was the 1st accredited facility in the state of Idaho to perform nuclear stress testing. The IAC (Intersocietal Accreditation Committee) holds us to the highest standards of the accreditation body. You can be assured that the Nuclear Cardiology Technologist is highly trained and has the skill level that meets and exceeds the standards set forth by the accreditation body.

Using tools such as athrectomy (“roto-rooting”), Impella (heart pump), and specialized equipment, complex coronary (heart artery) interventions can be performed using catheters, when appropriate, to avoid open heart surgery.  This includes chronic total occlusion (CTO) interventions.

Procedure Time:
Variable

Hospital Stay:
Usually Overnight

Follow-up Care

Our physicians work in conjunction with Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and Idaho Falls Community Hospital to perform Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty. This procedure is used to diagnose and open up an occluded coronary artery and restore blood flow.

At Idaho Hearts in-house Lab we can draw blood for labs ordered by the physicians. Patients can also be monitored for appropriate anticoagulation with their Coumadin/Warfarin therapy, getting their blood drawn and instructions for continued dosing all in one place.

Idaho Heart has on site Echocardiography. With an in-house Echo cardiographer an Ultrasound of the heart can be completed conveniently in conjunction with your office visit. Together with Nuclear Medicine, Stress Echo’s are also done in house.

Holter Monitors and Event Monitors are place in house to facilitate monitoring of heart rhythm to evaluate for arrhythmias. The monitors are then interpreted by our physicians and a care plan is put in to action.

LAAO is a treatment offered to patients with atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) that have been treated with anticoagulants to reduce risk of stroke but no longer are a good candidate for the blood thinner. The LAA is a small sac-like appendage in the upper left chamber of the heart. During an LAA closure procedure, the atrial appendage is sealed with a catheter procedure using the femoral vein in the groin while under general anesthesia.  This reduces the risk of stroke without the need for blood thinners long term.

Procedure Time
about 1 hour

Hospital Stay
Overnight for monitoring

Follow-Up Care
You will need to take warfarin and aspirin for about 45 days or until the left LAA is sealed (the lining of the heart grows over it). This will be confirmed by a transesophageal echoa around 45 days post-procedure.

At Idaho Heart Institute, we are able to provide a variety of ultrasound imaging studies to evaluate for blood vessel disorders.  If blockages of the legs and other blood vessels develop, our physicians performed catheter procedures (peripheral interventions) at the hospital to open blockages to improve blood flow.

A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a hole between the upper chambers of the heart that didn’t close after birth as it most often does. If this causes an issue, a catheter procedure can be performed to plug this hole. The catheter is inserted into a vein in the groin and guides the device into place with the imaging assistance of an echocardiogram. This can be performed with conscious sedation or general anesthesia.

Procedure Time
about 1 hour

Hospital Stay
Same-day discharge or possibly overnight

Follow-up Care
Echocardiogram at six months and yearly thereafter.

TAVR is a minimally invasive catheter procedure that is used to replace the aortic valve in patients with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the heart’s aortic valve). Common symptoms include symptoms like shortness of breath, syncope (passing out), chest pain, and fatigue.

A team of heart surgeons and interventional cardiologists work together to place an artificial valve into the heart via a catheter through an artery. Before TAVR, replacing the valve was done through open heart surgery. The TAVR procedure has been proven to significantly improve the quality of life and survival rates for these patients, and allows for a faster recovery.

This procedure is available for consideration for any patient with severe aortic stenosis, including those who may be considered inoperable, after thorough workup and Heart Team evaluation.

Facts about EIRMC’s TAVR program:

• EIRMC TAVR program started in November of 2015.
• EIRMC has performed well over 150 TAVRs to date.
• EIRMC has Edwards Sapien 3 Ultra, Medtronic CoreValve Evolut Pro, and Boston Scientific Lotus valves at their disposal depending on individual patient criteria.
• EIRMC uses moderate sedation for most patients

EIRMC is the first hospital in Eastern Idaho to offer a less invasive treatment for severe mitral valve regurgitation. MitraClip is a cutting edge alternative to open-heart valve surgery. It is often recommended to patients with symptomatic mitral valve regurgitation who are considered to be elevated risk for traditional surgery.

MitraClip is performed through a small puncture in the groin where a catheter is inserted into the femoral vein. The steerable, guided catheter is advanced into the left atrium. The clip or clips are attached to the leaflets of the valve, reducing mitral regurgitation.

TMVR is a less invasive treatment for severe mitral valve regurgitation or mitral stenosis. Especially in the setting of prior mitral valve replacement, using a catheter from the femoral vein the a new valve is able to be deployed to replace the poorly functioning mitral valve as an alternative to traditional surgery.

Procedure Time
about 2-3 hours

Hospital Stay
1-2 nights

Follow-Up Care
30 day echocardiogram and visit with implanting physician, routine cardiology visits, and one year echocardiogram and visit with implanting physician