Love Your Heart: A Cleveland Clinic Podcast

Dr. Rakesh Suri talks about the approach to mitral valve surgery at Cleveland Clinic – from mitral valve repair to surgical approach.

Vascular disease experts answer important questions about carotid artery disease:How is it diagnosed?What symptoms require emergency care?What can you do to treat it medically?How do you prevent further blockage?What degree of narrowing requires an intervention?What are the treatment options?What do you do if the carotid artery is completely blocked?

Pacemakers and defibrillators are both cardiac implantable electronic devices and used for different things – depending on the rhythm it is treating. Dr. Wilkoff, Director: Cardiac Pacing & Tachyarrhythmia Devices explains the different devices – and what’s new in pacing, such as leadless options.

This two part program answers all your questions about Aorta Disease and related disorders (Marfan syndrome, Ehlers Danlos, Loeys Dietz). Part 2 provides answers to questions about surgical treatments of aorta disease including when to operate, types of procedures and post-operative outcomes and concerns.

This two part program answers all your questions about Aorta Disease and related disorders (Marfan syndrome, Ehlers Danlos, Loeys Dietz). Part 1 answers questions about types of aorta disease; how this disease is diagnosed (including imaging and genetic testing); and medical management of aorta disease including monitoring, medications, blood pressure control, exercise and how to prevent progression.

Patients often ask if they should take their blood pressure at home, how to get the most accurate results, how often to do it, and what type of monitor to use (check out https://www.validatebp.org/) Preventive cardiologist and blood pressure specialist Dr. Luke Laffin answers these important questions.

Pericarditis treatment can be very challenging, however, the approach to surgical treatment has changed over the years with advances in imaging and earlier diagnosis. Dr. Doug Johnston, Vice Chairman of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Surgical Director of the Pericardial Disease Center, talks about pericarditis (including recurring pericarditis, constrictive pericarditis), what it is, and when someone may need surgery to treat it. Dr. Johnston talks about what surgery involves, why Cleveland Clinic takes this approach and what recovery looks like.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) involves more than septal thickness. Dr. Nicholas Smedira, Surgical Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center describes what happens when a patient has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A team approach is used to understand the anatomy and cause of obstruction. Many surgical approaches are available to individualize the care for the HCM patient to address the obstruction or treat the heart when a patient has HCM without obstruction.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is becoming more common as a diagnosis. If you have HFpEF, you may have questions about this condition and treatment.

New valve guidelines provide information about management of patients with heart valve disease including when to operate, TAVR (TAVI); valve surgery; valve choice, valve repair, surgical approach, and how the guidelines address the aorta and the tricuspid valve.Dr. Lars Svensson, Chairman, Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute and Dr. Marc Gillinov, Department Chairman, Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery provide their take on the new guidelines.