JFK

• Advanced heart failure care
• Chest pain care
• Heart surgery
• Minimally invasive surgery

• Structural heart care
• Thoracic surgery
• Valve surgery
• Vascular surgery

Congestive heart failure, or heart failure, occurs when the heart doesn’t pump blood as it should. Symptoms of heart failure include:

• Lower leg swelling
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Irregular or very fast heart beat
• Persistent cough

Your cardiologist may prescribe medication or a special diet to help manage heart failure. Florida Heart and Vascular Care’s JFK location has an advanced heart failure specialist who works alongside your cardiologist to help manage heart failure.

Advanced treatment options for heart failure may include:

• Medication adjustments
• Diuretic infusions
• Cardiac resynchronization therapy or pacemaker placement

If lifestyle and medication is no longer effective, a device may be required to help the heart pump. One such device is a pacemaker. A pacemaker sends small electrical pulses to the heart, when necessary, to correct irregular heart beats. We also offer a ventricular assist device (VAD) to patients needing advanced care. A VAD is a small mechanical pump that can be placed in the left or right ventricle of the heart. This pump is most often placed in the left ventricle (LVAD). It may be placed temporarily to help the heart pump, or long term for patients with heart failure. Open-heart surgery is necessary to place the pump. Your physician will help you determine if you are a candidate for these life-saving devices.

The pacemaker sends small electrical pulses to the heart, when necessary, to correct irregular heart beats.

• Pulmonary artery pressure monitoring
• Left ventricle assist device

A referral from your cardiologist is required. Call JFK’s Advanced Heart Care Center at (561) 548-5823 for more information.