In-Office Cardiology Services in Columbus, GA
Patients in West Central Georgia and East Central Alabama can rely on the skilled, caring heart doctors and cardiology specialists at Southeastern Cardiology for trusted diagnostic care, preventative care, and treatment or management of any cardiac condition.
To provide the best care possible, we perform in-office studies, tests, exams, and screenings to get to the bottom of your heart issues so that we can provide comprehensive care moving forward.
settingsThe Ankle Brachial Index is a noninvasive test to screen for peripheral artery disease. It compares the blood pressure measured at the ankle to the blood pressure measured at the arm. If the ankle reading is lower than expected, it could indicate narrowed or blocked arteries in the patient’s leg or legs.
What does this test entail?
The patient will lie on their back while a technician measures blood pressure in the arm. The technician will then measure blood pressure in the ankles using a handheld Doppler ultrasound device.
Testing typically lasts 30 – 45 minutes.
Amyloid screening is a series of tests that check for the presence of amyloid buildup in the body. Amyloid is a type of protein that can build up in tissues and organs, including the heart, and cause serious complications.
What does this test entail?
To screen for amyloid in the heart, we may require an echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, or blood sample.
Holter Monitor (24-48 Hours)
A Holter Monitor is a handheld device used to diagnose atrial fibrillation and other types of arrhythmia in cardiology patients. A patient will wear the device, typically for 24 hours, to monitor a day’s worth of heartbeats. It will indicate any abnormalities in the rate or rhythm of the heart.
What does this test entail?
Patients undergoing a Holter Monitor test can expect to wear the device for 24-48 hours, depending on their physician’s orders. Patients may not get wet while attached to the monitor, so patients should bathe or shower prior to their attachment appointment. Along with the device, patients are given a diary to track abnormal symptoms so that our team can correlate symptoms with data collected by the monitor.
Extended Holter Monitor (3-14 Days)
An Extended Holter Monitor is a small device that providers use to check whether a patient’s heart is beating too fast, too slow, or irregularly over the course of 3 to 14 days.
What does this test entail?
This monitor has one single sticky patch with electrodes that adhere to your chest and connect wirelessly to a phone you will carry with you. While wearing the monitor, you will go about your normal day—walking, eating, and even sleeping. The monitor records every heartbeat, plus any symptoms you mark, so the provider can see if anything is wrong. After the test, you return the monitor in the mail, and a doctor looks at the results to decide if you need treatment.
Event Monitor (25 Hours – 30 Days)
An event Monitor is a small sticky patch that adheres to your chest, like the Extended Holter Monitor. But instead of recording all the time, it only saves your heartbeats when you press a button if you feel a symptom or when it detects a heartbeat that is too fast, too slow, or uneven.
What does this test entail?
This type of monitor is usually worn for longer periods of time than a Holter Monitor, sometimes up to 30 days. You can take it off to shower or bathe, but be sure to follow the nurse’s instructions. When the test is over, you will mail the monitor back, and a doctor will check the results to decide the best treatment for you.
Mobile Telemetry (MCOT) Monitor (25 hours-30 days)
The Mobile Telemetry Monitor is a small sticky patch that adheres to your chest, like the Holter and Event Monitors. It checks your heartbeat all the time to look for any unusual heart rhythms. If your heart has an abnormal beat, the monitor records it and sends it to your doctor, even if you don’t feel anything. You can also press a button to record your heartbeat if you feel symptoms.
What does this test entail?
This monitor can be worn for anywhere from 25 hours up to 30 days. You can take it off to shower or bathe, but make sure to follow the nurse’s instructions. When the test is done, you mail the monitor back, and the doctor looks at the results to decide the best treatment for you.
The Cardiac PET (positron emission tomography) test provides detailed, noninvasive imaging of a patient’s heart, helping form a more thorough understanding of the heart and any issues that are affecting it. Once the scan is complete, the patient’s cardiology team can make more definite decisions about how to treat, manage, or improve your heart health.
What does this test entail?
The patient will receive an injection with a small amount of radioactive tracer for clearer, more defined imaging. The patient will then lie flat on the bed of the PET machine while it takes images of the patient’s heart.
The scan can last 60 – 90 minutes.
A PET test also requires the patient to follow a few instructions:
- 12 hours prior to the test – No caffeine, including coffee (even decaf, which contains trace amounts of caffeine), tea, soda, or chocolate. If you are unsure if something has caffeine in it, do not consume it. It’s best to only drink water 12 hours before the test.
- 3 hours prior to the test – No food or drink except water. You may drink water until the time of the test. For example, if your test is at 9:15 a.m., you may NOT have food after 6:15 a.m. You can drink water up until 9:15 a.m.
- You may take all your medications up until the time of the test except for those that require you to take with food. Refrain from taking medications that require food within the 3-hour window before your test.
- Dress comfortably and wear walking shoes.
- Do not wear heels, flip-flops, Crocs, or an open-back shoe.
- Wear a separate top and bottom. For example, you may wear pants and a shirt or a skirt and a blouse. Do not wear a dress.
An Echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart, providing a real-time look at the patient’s heart in action. Through the echocardiogram, your provider can observe how your heart beats and pumps blood in and out of the organ. Echocardiograms are helpful in diagnosing a range of heart issues, from coronary artery disease to atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and more.
What does this test entail?
Patients are asked to undress from the waist up and cover themselves with a gown. The technician will apply a small amount of warm gel to the chest and will move a probe over the area to capture images of the heart.
The test takes approximately 45 minutes.
An Electrocardiogram evaluates the electrical function of your heart. On a digital screen, the patient and their healthcare team track heart activity, showing the spikes and dips or waves. It assesses the frequency of the patient’s heartbeats (the heart rate) and the rhythm of the heartbeat. EKGs are helpful in identifying issues like atrial fibrillation, as well as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and others.
What does this test entail?
Patients are asked to change into a hospital gown for easier access to the chest, arms, and legs. Ten to twelve small electrodes are placed on these areas to detect electrical signals from the heart and feed the data back to the computer system. It only takes a few minutes to gather the information needed to determine abnormalities in the heart’s rate and rhythm.
Echocardiograms can be Complete, Limited, with Definity, and with Bubble Studies.
Bubble Study
The Bubble Study can be part of an echocardiogram, checking for a right-to-left shunt (an abnormal opening between chambers) in the heart.
What does this test entail?
The patient will be connected to an IV and agitating the saline to create bubbles. As the bubbly saline reaches the heart, the patient will be asked to bear down and cough to see if the bubbles pass from one chamber to the other. If bubbles appear on the left side of the heart, it indicates that a shunt is present.
Stress Echo
A Stress Echo is a version of the echocardiogram that involves the patient walking on a treadmill to observe the heart in real-time while the patient is exerting themselves physically. Stress echos show our providers how well your heart and blood vessels are working.
Southeastern Cardiology is the only practice in Columbus, GA, that offers this service.
What does this test entail?
Usually, the most a patient will do is walk. Their technician will monitor heart rate and blood pressure and will gather ultrasound images of the heart once the heart rate reaches a certain level. An IV is also inserted for precautionary purposes only. This test does not take as long as a nuclear stress test. It only lasts an hour, but we still ask patients not to eat or drink anything four hours prior to the test and to wear comfortable clothes.
A Contrast Echo is an echocardiogram that uses contrast dye to provide a more detailed look at the heart. It is not a routine part of the regular echo exam and must be specially ordered by the patient’s heart doctor.
What does this test entail?
Patients are asked to undress from the waist up and cover themselves with a gown. The technician will insert an IV to administer the contrast. They will then apply a small amount of warm gel to the chest and will move a probe over the area to capture images of the heart. The contrast will highlight the heart for approximately two minutes, which the technician will capture. The contrast is then flushed out with saline.
The test takes approximately 45 minutes.
Often, we require blood or urine samples to understand the patient’s heart condition or complications fully. Our practice offers the convenience of an in-house lab so that patients do not have to travel elsewhere to provide lab samples.
INR monitoring evaluates the time it takes for blood to clot and monitors the effectiveness of anticoagulation therapy, particularly Warfarin (coumadin), an anticoagulation medication prescribed to patients with atrial fibrillation.
When the heart beats irregularly, blood flow can slow down, leading to clot formation inside the heart. If a clot travels to the brain, it can block blood flow and cause a stroke. Warfarin helps thin the blood, so it’s less likely to form clots and lead to stroke.
Patients receiving long-term anticoagulation therapy, or those on blood thinners, will need to monitor their blood to ensure the therapy is working and that there is enough of the medication in their circulatory systems to prevent blood clots from forming. Our cardiology team will draw a sample of blood for testing to ensure everything is working as it should.
An implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) is a tiny device that helps doctors track your heartbeat over time. It’s used for people with dizziness, fainting, or irregular heartbeats when doctors need more information. Once implanted, it continuously tracks your heart’s rhythm and records any unusual beats, sending the information to your doctor. You can also press a button if you feel symptoms. The ICM can stay in place for months or years without a battery change. Since it’s inside, there are no wires or patches, and your doctor can use the results to help keep your heart healthy!
A MUGA Scan, or a multigated acquisition scan, evaluates the ventricles, or the two lower chambers of the heart. While lying in a reclined chair, the patient will receive an injection of a radioactive tracer so that the MUGA camera can detect the tracer in the system and provide images of the heart at work. The patient’s cardiology specialist can focus on the ventricles and observe their function to help determine issues or narrow in on a specific condition.
What does this test entail?
A MUGA scan lasts roughly two hours. While reclining in the MUGA chair, the patient receives an injection of low-dose radioactive tracer. After the injection, the MUGA camera collects data and produces computer-generated images of the heart.
Patients are asked not to eat anything four hours before the scan.
Our pacemaker clinic allows us to monitor all cardiac rhythm devices, like pacemakers, ICDs (defibrillators), and implantable loop recorders. Most monitoring is done remotely, with one in-person check each year. However, some patients prefer to come into the office for all their device checks.
Remote device monitoring allows nurses and doctors to check your pacemaker or heart device without you having to visit the office. Your pacemaker or cardiac device sends information wirelessly to a small home monitor or a smartphone app. This information is then sent securely to our office, where we can make sure the device is working well. If there’s a problem or we have any questions, your Pacemaker Nurse will call you to talk about it and give recommendations.
Remote monitoring helps keep you safe by letting your provider check on your device and some of your heart functions without having to go to the doctor’s office.
Remote patient monitoring allows your provider to check your blood pressure or weight to ensure it is within a set goal range without you having to visit the office frequently.
You will check your blood pressure and weight according to a set schedule using a special blood pressure monitor and an at-home scale provided by our office. Every time you check either one, the monitor or scale sends the data to our team through an Internet connection.
Remote monitoring helps your provider track your blood pressure and/or your weight and observe if the numbers are too high or too low. If your blood pressure or weight is not in the goal range, then your provider and RPM nurse will give you instructions on how to improve the numbers, change your medicine, or both. It’s an easy way to stay healthier without going to the doctor’s office all the time!
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET)
The Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test is a highly sensitive, noninvasive stress test that assesses the functions of the heart, lungs, and associated muscles independently from one another and together as a whole. This test can help detect heart failure, heart disease, valve issues, and lung problems and determine whether a patient’s root issues are heart-related or lung-related.
Southeastern Cardiology is the only practice in the Columbus area that offers this specific test.
What does the test entail?
The patient will be asked to step up and down on a stool for a few minutes while wearing a mouthpiece. Patients who are unable to step up and down may sit in a chair and move their legs to exert themselves. Patients are asked to wear comfortable clothes to their appointments.
This test lasts roughly 30 minutes.
Nuclear Stress Test
The nuclear stress test uses a treadmill to evaluate how the patient’s heart works at different stages of exertion. The technician will adjust the speed and incline of the treadmill at various points of the test and mark the patient’s heart rate and blood pressure at different intervals.
What does this test entail?
Nuclear stress tests are more involved than others and can take up to 5 hours to complete. The patient is asked to wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes and come prepared for a “brisk walk up a hill.” If a patient is unable to walk, we offer alternative options, such as medication that simulates the heart’s behavior with physical exertion.
For some, a radioactive tracer will be injected so that a gamma camera can capture and produce images of the heart.
A stress test also requires a few instructions:
- 12 hours before the test – No caffeine, only water to drink
- 3 hours before the test – No food or drink except water
- 3 hours before the test – No medications that must be taken with food
- Patients can eat roughly halfway through the testing period. Our practice offers complimentary crackers, Coke products, and juice. Patients are allowed to bring a snack or meal of their own or leave for an hour to grab something to eat.
- Patients will be in the office for 4-5 hours with some downtime in between testing. Patients are encouraged to bring a book, tablet, or other form of entertainment.
Treadmill Stress Test
The Treadmill Stress Test involves connecting the patient to an IV and electrocardiogram equipment and walking on a treadmill at certain speeds and inclines to determine how the patient’s blood flows at different levels of activity. This test can help determine the development of coronary artery disease and show whether certain medications or prior procedures are now effective.
What does this test entail?
The treadmill test lasts less than an hour. Like the other stress tests, patients are required to avoid food or drink for 4 hours before the test. During the test, patients will be connected to an IV and EKG equipment.
There are a variety of vascular studies we can perform to observe and evaluate the state of a patient’s arteries or other vessels. Our vascular ultrasounds include:
Carotid Ultrasound
The carotid ultrasound observes the carotid arteries at both sides of the neck. It lasts 30-40 minutes, and patients are asked to wear comfortable clothes. There are no food restrictions for a carotid ultrasound.
Upper Extremity Arterial Duplex Ultrasound
The upper extremity arterial duplex ultrasound observes the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the arms. It lasts 45-90 minutes. Men are asked to wear a shirt that is easy to remove. Women are asked to wear a tank top. There are no food restrictions for an upper extremity arterial duplex ultrasound.
Upper Extremity Venous Duplex Ultrasound
The upper extremity venous duplex ultrasound observes the veins that carry blood from the arms to the heart. It lasts 35-45 minutes. Men are asked to wear a shirt that is easy to remove. Women are asked to wear a tank top. There are no food restrictions for an upper extremity venous duplex ultrasound.
Lower Extremity Arterial Ultrasound
The lower extremity arterial ultrasound observes the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the legs. It lasts 45-90 minutes, and patients are asked to wear separate tops and bottoms (no dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, etc.). Patients can expect to remove their bottoms except for any undergarments. There are no food restrictions for a lower extremity arterial ultrasound.
Lower Extremity Venous Ultrasound
The lower extremity venous ultrasound observes the veins that carry blood from the legs to the heart. It lasts 30-45 minutes, and patients are asked to wear separate tops and bottoms (no dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, etc.). Patients can expect to remove their bottoms except for any undergarments. There are no food restrictions for a lower extremity venous ultrasound.
Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound
The abdominal aortic ultrasound observes the aorta, the main artery supplying blood to the entire body, at the abdomen. It lasts 5-10 minutes, and patients are asked to wear separate tops and bottoms (no dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, etc.). It is essential to fast 12 hours prior to the examination. Patients can drink water 3 hours prior. Patients may also take all medications that do not require food prior to the examination. Do not chew gum or smoke the morning of the examination. Morning appointments will be given for optimal imaging.
Renal Artery Ultrasound
The renal aortic ultrasound observes the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the kidneys. It lasts 60-90 minutes, and patients are asked to wear separate tops and bottoms (no dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, etc.). It is essential to fast 12 hours prior to the examination. Patients can drink water 3 hours prior. Patients may also take all medications that do not require food prior to the examination. Do not chew gum or smoke the morning of the examination. Morning appointments will be given for optimal imaging.
Mesenteric/Splanchnic Artery Ultrasound
The mesenteric/splanchnic artery ultrasound observes the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the intestines and other abdominal organs. It lasts 45-60 minutes, and patients are asked to wear separate tops and bottoms (no dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, etc.). It is essential to fast 12 hours prior to the examination. Patients can drink water 3 hours prior. Patients may also take all medications that do not require food prior to the examination. Do not chew gum or smoke the morning of the examination. Morning appointments will be given for optimal imaging.