Mulkay Cardiology Consultants PC established in 1998 specializes in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. With over a decade of cardiology experience, we tailor a plan of care specific to your individual needs. In order to expedite your treatment and care, we offer a multitude of cardiovascular testing available directly from our offices.
Our team is highly trained and Board Certified in the fields of Cardiovascular Diseases, Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology and Nuclear Medicine.
The following services are available in our office and often can be scheduled at your convenience at any of our offices.
Services Provided in our office include:
Electrocardiogram: An electrocardiogram — also called an ECG or EKG — records these electrical signals as they travel through your heart. Your doctor can use an electrocardiogram to look for patterns among these heartbeats and rhythms to diagnose various heart conditions. An electrocardiogram is a non-invasive, painless test. Our doctors will review the results of this simple test with you the same day it's performed.
Echocardiogram: An echocardiogram is a test in which ultrasound is used to examine the heart. The echocardiogram also offers far more sophisticated and advanced imaging. This is known as two- dimensional (2-D) Echo and is capable of displaying a cross-sectional "slice" of the beating heart, including the chambers, valves and the major blood vessels that exit from the left and right ventricle. We have trained staff in our office daily available to perform this non invasive exam at the discretion of our doctors. Often the results are interpreted the same day or will be reviewed with you on your next visit.
Stress Testing: A stress test, also called an exercise stress test, is used to gather information about how well your heart works during physical activity. Because exercise makes your heart pump harder and faster than it does during most daily activities, an exercise stress test can reveal problems within your heart that might not be noticeable otherwise.An exercise stress test usually involves walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike while your heart rhythm, blood pressure and breathing are monitored.Your doctor may recommend an exercise stress test if he or she suspects you have coronary artery disease or an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). An exercise stress test may also be used to guide your treatment if you've already been diagnosed with a heart condition.
Event Monitoring: Event monitors are designed to be worn by patients for 14days or longer depending on your specific needs. They are commonly prescribed to diagnose transient cardiac symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, syncope and shortness of breath. Patients transmit their recordings toll-free 24 hours a day to a monitoring center. The recordings are analyzed and then faxed, e-mailed or published on a secure website for the physician to review and interpret. Physicians are notified immediately when a patient's transmission indicates severe arrhythmias. The results are then discussed with you on your next office visit and your treatment plan is altered according to your specific needs.
Nuclear Stress Test: A nuclear stress test lets doctors see pictures of your heart while you are resting and shortly after you have exercised. The test can give information about the size of the heart's chambers, how well the heart is pumping blood, and whether the heart has any damaged or dead muscle. Nuclear stress tests can also give doctors information about your arteries and whether they might be narrowed or blocked because of coronary artery disease.
Carotid Ultrasound: An ultrasound is a painless and harmless test that uses high-frequency sound waves to create pictures of the insides of the two large arteries in your neck. These arteries, called carotid arteries, supply your brain with oxygen-rich blood. You have one carotid artery on each side of your neck. Carotid ultrasound shows whether a substance called plaque (plak) has narrowed your carotid arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Plaque builds up on the insides of your arteries as you age. This condition is called carotid artery disease.
Vascular Ultrasound: Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Vascular ultrasound provides pictures of the body’s veins and arteries. A Doppler ultrasound study may be part of a vascular ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound is a special ultrasound technique that evaluates blood velocity as it flows through a blood vessel, including the body’s major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck.
Services Provided in Hospital Setting:
Cardiac Catheterization: is a medical procedure used to diagnose and treat certain heart conditions. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in your groin (upper thigh) and threaded to your heart. Through the catheter, doctors can do diagnostic tests and treatments on your heart. A special contrast dye is then injected through the catheter which will flow through your bloodstream to your heart. Once the dye reaches your heart, it will make the inside of your coronary (heart) arteries show up on an x ray. This test is called coronary angiography.The dye can show whether a substance called plaque (plak) has narrowed or blocked any of your coronary arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in your blood. Plaque narrows the inside of the arteries and, in time, may restrict blood flow to your heart. When plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the condition is called coronary heart disease (CHD) or coronary artery disease (CAD). Blockages in the coronary arteries also can be seen using ultrasound during cardiac catheterization. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create detailed pictures of the heart's blood vessels.
Cardiac Angioplasty / Stenting: Angioplasty is a non-surgical procedure that can be used to open blocked heart arteries. Stent placement is another option that can be done during angioplasty. The procedure is performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (or cath lab) by a specialized cardiologist and a team of cardiovascular nurses and technicians.
Balloon angioplasty. During this procedure, a specially designed catheter with a small balloon tip is guided to the point of narrowing in the artery. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to compress the fatty matter into the artery wall and stretch the artery open to increase blood flow to the heart.
Stent. A stent is a small metal mesh tube that acts as a scaffold to provide support inside your coronary artery. A balloon catheter, placed over a guide wire, is used to insert the stent into the narrowed coronary artery. Once in place, the balloon tip is inflated and the stent expands to the size of the artery and holds it open. The balloon is then deflated and removed while the stent stays in place permanently. Over a several-week period, your artery heals around the stent. Stents are commonly placed during interventional procedures such as angioplasty to help keep the coronary artery open. Some stents contain medicine and are designed to reduce the risk of reblockage (restenosis). The doctor will determine if this type of stent is appropriate for your type of blockage.
Rotoblation. A special catheter, with an acorn-shaped, diamond-coated tip, is guided to the point of narrowing in your coronary artery. The tip spins around at a high speed and grinds away the plaque on your artery walls. The microscopic particles are washed safely away in your blood stream and filtered out by your liver and spleen. This process is repeated as needed to allow for better blood flow. This procedure is rarely used today because balloon angioplasty and stenting have much better results and are technically easier for the cardiologist to perform.
Atherectomy. The catheter used in this procedure has a hollow cylinder on the tip with an open window on one side and a balloon on the other. When the catheter is inserted into the narrowed artery, the balloon is inflated, pushing the window against the fatty matter. A blade (cutter) within the cylinder rotates and shaves off any fat that protruded into the window. The shavings are caught in a chamber within the catheter and removed. This process is repeated as needed to allow for better blood flow. Like rotoblation, this procedure is rarely used today.
Cutting Balloon. The cutting balloon catheter has a special balloon tip with small blades. When the balloon is inflated, the blades are activated. The small blades score the plaque, then the balloon compresses the fatty matter into the artery wall.
EPS Mapping: Normally, electricity flows throughout the heart in a regular, measured pattern. This electrical system brings about heart muscle contractions. A problem anywhere along the electrical pathway causes an arrhythmia, or heart rhythm disturbance. By accurately diagnosing the precise cause of an arrhythmia, it is possible to select the best possible treatment. During an EP study, a specially trained cardiac specialist may provoke arrhythmia events and collect data about the flow of electricity during actual events. As a result, EP studies can help locate the specific areas heart tissue that give rise to the abnormal electrical impulses that cause arrhythmias. This detailed electrical flow information provides valuable diagnostic and, therefore, treatment information.EP studies most often are recommended for patients with symptoms indicative of heart rhythm disorders or for people who may be at risk for Sudden Cardiac Death.
Permanent Pace Maker: Your condition may warrant the need for a pacemaker. because there are signs that your heart is not beating fast enough or there is a problem with the normal electrical signal which causes your heart to beat. A permanent pacemaker consists of a generator and leads which are usually implanted into the upper chest through a small incision. The generator is a metal case containing the power source and a timer that regulates how often the pacemaker sends out electrical signals. The generator life is usually 7 to 10 years. The leads allow the pacemaker to monitor your heart rhythm and to send out electrical signals to make your heart beat when needed.
Mulkay Cardiology Consultants are affiliated with the following hospitals.
Hackensack University and Medical Center
30 Prospect Avenue
Hackensack, NJ, 07601
T.201.996.2000
http://www.humed.com/
Holy Name Medical Center
725 Teaneck Road
Teaneck, NJ, 07666
T.201.833.3000
http://www.holyname.org/
Palisades Medical Center
7600 River Road
North Bergen, NJ, 07047
T.201.854.5000
http://palisadesmedical.org/
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