Embrace Life With a Stronger Heart
With about 5.7 million Americans living with heart failure, you are not alone. In fact, it's one of the most common reasons why people age 65 and older go to the hospital.
There is no cure for heart failure and it's a serious condition. But the good news is that it's possible to reverse heart failure damage.
With the right treatments — up to and including heart transplant — medications and lifestyle choices, you can live a full life with a heart failure diagnosis. It's our goal to help you do just that.
We’re here to help you find the right physician or a location that’s convenient for you.
Known for Sharing Our Strength
You want to do more than just cope. You want to embrace life wholeheartedly. That’s why we’re determined to help you lead your best life with a heart failure diagnosis and feel whole in body, mind and spirit.
Our board-certified cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons perform the latest lifesaving diagnostic and treatment procedures to help you heal with the best possible outcomes.
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Heart Success Centers
Learning to live with heart failure has its challenges. With a shared goal to keep you healthy and out of the hospital, our Heart Success Centers provides safe transition and recovery support with effective, whole-person care.
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Pioneers in Cardiac Research
Always working to improve your whole heart means being at the forefront of cardiovascular research. That’s why our physicians and clinicians participate in clinical trials each year.
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#1 Heart Transplant Program in the Southeast
We're connected to the AdventHealth Transplant Institute, located in Orlando, which performs more heart transplants than any other transplant center in the Southeast region.
Expert Care for Heart Failure
- Understanding Heart Failure
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Heart failure is a chronic condition that prevents your heart from pumping enough oxygenated blood to your cells. As a result, your heart’s chambers enlarge to compensate, causing it to pump faster, while your blood vessels narrow and your blood pressure rises. Your body directs blood to your heart and brain, away from less important organs.
There are three main types of heart failure:
Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure happens when your body can’t manage the pressure or volume in your heart or lungs, resulting in fluid buildup in your lungs.
Left-Sided Heart Failure
There are two scenarios you can experience with left-sided heart failure. In some cases, the left ventricle doesn’t contract normally, which means the heart can’t propel blood to the body (systolic failure).
Other times, the left ventricle can’t relax, so the heart can’t fill with enough blood between beats (diastolic failure).
Right-Sided Heart Failure
Often caused by left-sided heart failure, right-sided heart failure causes increased fluid pressure that circulates back to your lungs. This damages your heart’s right side and can cause blood to back up in the body’s veins, causing swelling in your legs, ankles or abdomen.
In addition to congestive, left-sided and right-sided heart failure, there is also advanced heart failure, which is the most serious. When heart failure is advanced, traditional treatments might no longer work. Approximately 10% of the 6 million Americans with heart failure have advanced heart failure.
- Who’s at Risk for Heart Failure?
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Most frequently, heart failure happens if you have:
- A current or past heart condition
- Coronary artery disease
- Had a heart attack in the past
- High blood pressure
- Heart Failure Warning Signs
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In the early stages of heart failure, you might not notice symptoms. But as your condition progresses, you may notice:
- Chronic cough or wheezing
- Confusion or impaired thinking
- Dizziness
- Fast heart rate
- Fatigue or weakness
- Fluid buildup
- Nausea or lack of appetite
- Shortness of breath
- Diagnosing Heart Failure
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Tests for heart failure often focus on examining your heart’s ventricles (lower chambers) and their ability to pump enough blood to your body, as well as how they relax and fill with the right amount of blood.
Explore Your Treatment Options
The best heart failure treatments usually involve a combination of medication, healthy lifestyle changes and other adjustments to improve your everyday life.
Cardiac rehab includes exercise training, education on heart-healthy living and counseling to reduce stress. It stabilizes, slows and may even reverse the progression of heart failure.
If you’re diagnosed with heart failure, your doctor may recommend:
- Avoiding alcohol and caffeine
- Avoiding tight socks or stockings
- Being physically active
- Developing a social support system
- Eating a low-sodium, low-fat diet
- Getting appropriate vaccinations (like flu or pneumonia)
- Getting sufficient rest
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing stress
- Monitoring blood pressure
- Quitting smoking
- Tracking daily fluid intake
Depending on your needs, your doctor might prescribe:
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor to lower blood pressure and decrease the heart’s workload
- Angiotensin receptor blocker to lower blood pressure
- Angiotensin-receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) to improve artery opening and blood flow, reduce sodium retention and decrease strain on the heart
- Beta-blockers to lower blood pressure and slow your heart rate
- Digoxin to help your heart pump better
- Diuretics to help rid the body of extra water and sodium
- Vasodilator to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels, allowing them to open
We offer a wide variety of procedures to treat heart failure, including minimally invasive and traditional surgeries and heart transplants.
Minimally Invasive Heart Procedures
If we can avoid open-heart surgery, we will. We constantly explore new technologies for less-invasive approaches to heart surgery. Many of our minimally invasive procedures, such as MitraClip® and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), only require a tiny incision, which results in less scarring and a speedier recovery.
MitraClip®
Small. Safe. Effective. MitraClip® may be an option if you have a leaky heart valve (mitral regurgitation) and you’re not a candidate for traditional surgery. This procedure typically involves inserting a catheter through a large vein in the groin and is much less invasive than open heart surgery, resulting in less scarring and shorter recovery times.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
Your doctor may recommend Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) if you have a damaged or diseased aortic valve. This procedure allows your valve to be replaced instead of removed, and provides a safe alternative if surgery isn’t the best option for you.
Percutaneous Interventions
Percutaneous interventions are non-surgical procedures performed on a beating heart. Unlike open-heart surgery, the heart is accessed with special tools threaded through a small opening in the groin. A percutaneous procedure may be considered in advanced heart failure patients who aren’t candidates for surgery.
Surgical Procedures
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT)
CRT involves a special pacemaker that helps control your heart’s contractions. It might be recommended if your heart’s electrical signals are off, which changes how it normally beats.
CardioMEMS™ HF Systen
The CardioMEMS HF System is an implanted device that allows a cardiologist to monitor pressure readings remotely, preventing heart failure episodes and hospitalization. This pressure sensor is implanted in the pulmonary artery during an outpatient procedure that is covered by most insurance plans.
Heart Transplant Surgery*
For severe, progressive heart failure, a heart transplant might be the best option. This procedure replaces your heart with a healthier heart from a donor.
Heart Transplant*
You may be a candidate for a heart transplant if other heart failure treatments haven’t worked as hoped. A heart transplant replaces your heart with a healthy one from a donor after all other options have been explored. Transplantation can bring renewed hope for an active and independent life.
We'll work with the AdventHealth Transplant Institute to walk you through an evaluation to determine your eligibility. If you’re a candidate, a transplant team will make the final decision and communicate the news to your transplant coordinator and doctor. Once insurance authorization is received, you’ll be placed on a national organ donor waiting list. When a suitable donor is found, you'll be contacted to prepare for the transplant.
*This specialty care is currently available in Florida only.
Devices for Serious Heart Issues
Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD)
If you have serious arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), a defibrillator can help. It’s a device that is surgically placed to keep your heart on pace when a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm is detected.
Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)
If you’re waiting on a transplant, your doctor may recommend an LVAD. It’s a surgically implantable, portable device that can temporarily help weakened ventricles by keeping your heart pumping.
Pacemaker
Advanced heart failure may cause delayed contractions of the right and left ventricles.
Heart Surgeons Who Ease Your Mind
When surgery is necessary to keep your heart beating strong, you want the most experienced and compassionate surgeons at your side — and that’s what you can expect here. Our surgeons put your comfort and safety first, answering your questions and explaining your options, so you can feel comfortable and confident.
The Ultimate Gift: John's Heart Transplant Story
After suffering a massive heart attack on the road to Tampa, Florida, John Allen was airlifted to AdventHealth, where he received a new heart. Hear John's story of healing and gratitude.
Expert, Award-Winning Care
National Leader in Heart Failure Care
AdventHealth Orlando is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best hospitals for heart failure treatment.
Find Support for Heart Failure
Across the country, each of our locations offering heart failure care contributes to the strength of the AdventHealth Cardiovascular Institute network. Explore your options for care close to home with the guidance of our dedicated team. We’ll help you find the right fit, so you’re in the best setting to get the care you need.