Cardiology

Our cardiologists specialize in preventing, discovering and treating conditions that involve your heart and blood vessels.

Expert care for heart and vascular health

When you need cardiovascular expertise, you can get the same leading-edge care at the Heart & Vascular Institute at Portsmouth Regional Hospital you’d expect from a large medical center — right here in your community. As a designated Chest Pain Center, we’re known for lifesaving heart attack care .

We’re the first and only facility on the Seacoast to offer complete cardiovascular care. That means you can count on us for everything from personal guidance to lowering your heart disease risk to the latest treatments and ongoing follow-up care to keep you healthy. Our cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons and other cardiovascular specialists work as a team to ensure you get complete care and individual attention.

We make getting cardiovascular care as easy and worry-free as possible. We take the time to explain your diagnosis and discuss your treatment options so you’re empowered to make informed choices about your health. Together, you and your team will decide what’s right for you. You get personalized treatment to help you feel your best.

Cardiovascular conditions we treat

Our cardiovascular team provides personalized, patient-centered care for a variety of heart and vascular conditions, including:

• Acute coronary syndrome (reduced blood flow to the heart)
• Aneurysm (weakened blood vessel wall)
• Arteriosclerosis (hardening of arteries)
• Atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque, a waxy substance, on artery walls)
• Congestive heart failure (the heart doesn’t pump enough blood)
• Coronary artery disease (reduced blood flow in arteries that lead to the heart)
• Heart arrhythmia
• Heart attack and chest pain
• Heart valve disease (valves that are too narrow, aren’t formed properly or won’t close completely)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Peripheral artery disease (narrowing of arteries that reduces blood flow to your limbs)
• Stroke
• Varicose veins (enlarged veins)

Trusted cardiovascular care and services

Our highly skilled heart and vascular specialists offer comprehensive care using state-of-the-art technology and advanced treatments. Your experience may include one or more approaches, depending on your needs. We create a treatment plan that will give you the best possible results.

Heart and vascular imaging and diagnostic testing

We use a variety of heart and vascular tests to discover your symptoms, including:

• Angiography and other cardiac catheterization procedures to see inside your blood vessels
• Heart arrhythmia testing to check your heart’s electrical activity, such as echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, electrophysiology (EP) studies and Holter monitoring
• Imaging tests that provide detailed images of your heart and blood vessels, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)
• Stress testing to examine how your heart works during exercise
• Ultrasound tests like echocardiogram and vein mapping, which use sound waves to examine blood flow

Medication management

Many people with heart and vascular conditions rely on blood-thinning medicine, such as Coumadin^® (warfarin), to reduce the risk of blood clots. If taking a blood thinner, you need to see your doctor regularly to keep an eye on your health and make sure the medicine is working as it should.

Our medication management team works closely with your doctor to keep you safe. We make it easier to stay healthy by offering fast, convenient appointments. You can be in and out in about 15 minutes.

Visits include:

• Immediate blood test results
• One–on–one evaluation with a team member, including a review of your dosage and symptoms
• An opportunity to ask questions

For more information, call (603) 433-4075.

Heart and vascular procedures and surgery

We use nonsurgical treatments whenever possible, but sometimes you need more advanced treatment to feel better. We specialize in minimally invasive procedures, which use small incisions and offer less pain and scarring and a quicker recovery.

Our surgeons use minimally invasive approaches for heart valve repair and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), as well as endovascular surgeries like transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) to treat blood vessel problems. And if you require a complex open procedure, you can count on our expert team.

Cardiac rehabilitation

If you want to lower your risk of a heart attack or cardiovascular disease, our cardiac rehabilitation team can help you get healthier and feel better. Our exercise physiologists, nurses, nutritionists and cardiologists will develop a program tailored to your needs.

How healthy is your heart? Take our quiz.