Cardiovascular care in the Seacoast Region
Our cardiovascular knowledge can help prevent possible life-threatening issues.
At The Heart and Vascular Institute of Portsmouth Regional Hospital, we know the health of your circulatory system can impact your quality of life. We're here to diagnose and help you manage all types of cardiovascular conditions as well as care for life-threatening cardiac events.
How healthy is your heart?
Taking a moment to learn about your heart health is a great way to start taking better care of yourself. Our online assessment tool will help you understand your risks and give you information you can take to your doctor.
Taking a moment to learn about your heart health is a great way to start taking better care of yourself. Our online assessment tool will help you understand your risks and give you information you can take to your doctor.
Conditions treated by our cardiologists
We provide the highest possible level of care for numerous heart and vascular conditions, including:
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Aneurysms
- Arteriosclerosis
- Atherosclerosis
- Cardiac arrest
- Congenital heart disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Heart arrhythmias
- Heart attacks
- Heart valve disease
- Hypertension
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Peripheral artery disease
- Strokes
- Varicose veins
Our comprehensive cardiology program
We are the first and only area facility to offer complete cardiovascular services. Our cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and vascular surgeons connect you to the latest treatments and ongoing follow-up care.
Services offered at The Heart and Vascular Institute
We work to make getting care for your issue as convenient and worry-free as possible. We thoroughly explain your diagnosis and treatment options, empowering you to make informed choices about your health. Together, you and your team will decide what's right for you.
Our highly skilled cardiovascular specialists provide comprehensive care using innovative technology and treatments. Your experience may include one or more approaches depending on the treatment plan created to address your specific medical needs.
Cardiac diagnostic testing
To help us determine your condition, we can perform a variety of diagnostic procedures, including:
- Angiography
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- Electrophysiology (EP) study
- Holter monitoring exam
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
- Stress test
- Ultrasound
- Vein mapping
Medication management
Many people with heart and vascular conditions rely on blood-thinning medicine to reduce their risk of blood clots. If taking a blood thinner, you should see your primary care physician (PCP) regularly to keep an eye on your health and make sure it's working as it should.
We work closely with your doctor to help keep you safe and comfortable. Your visit may include:
- Blood test results as quickly as possible
- One-on-one evaluation, including a review of your dosage and symptoms
- Opportunities to ask questions
For more information about medication management, please call (603) 433-4075.
Minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures
Whenever possible, we use nonsurgical treatments. However, you might need more advanced treatment to feel your best. The minimally invasive procedures we perform use small incisions, which can contribute to less pain, reduced scarring and a quicker overall recovery.
Our surgeons can use minimally invasive techniques for heart valve repairs, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) surgery.
You can register online for your procedure to save time on the day of your visit.
Personalized cardiac therapy
If you want to lower your risk of a heart attack or cardiovascular disease, our exercise physiologists, nurses, nutritionists and cardiologists will develop and lead a program to help enhance your heart health.
Heart disease care
We specialize in preventing, diagnosing and treating heart disease, which is a general term for conditions of the heart and blood vessels.
Our facility offers a full range of heart disease support, including specialized heart care for women. In our advanced cardiac catheterization laboratory, our heart specialists are able to find heart disease at the earliest possible stages and restore blood flow.
Helping you prevent heart disease
Although you can’t control some heart disease risks, such as family history or age, you can take action to lower your chances. We help you manage conditions that can lead to heart disease, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
It is our goal to help you establish heart-healthy habits, including:
- Consuming a heart-healthy diet
- Exercising regularly (30 to 60 minutes daily)
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing stress
- Quitting smoking
- Sleeping well
Symptoms of CAD
CAD is caused by a buildup of plaque inside the coronary arteries, which lead to the heart. Over time, it can contribute to atherosclerosis — the narrowing of these arteries — which can restrict blood flow to the heart.
You may not have symptoms in the earliest stages of CAD. As more plaque builds up inside the blood vessels, you may experience:
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
For some, the first sign of heart disease is a heart attack. If you notice heart attack symptoms, call 911 right away.
Symptoms of heart attack
A heart attack can occur when blood flow to the heart is blocked or significantly reduced. This is caused by a buildup of cholesterol and fat inside the arteries that supplies blood to the heart. It is considered an emergency and requires medical attention as quickly as possible.
Some heart attacks come on quickly and intensely, but others may happen more slowly with mild symptoms. You should call 911 right away if you notice heart attack warning signs, such as:
- Chest pain, including discomfort or pressure that may feel like squeezing
- Discomfort or pain in the jaw, neck, back, stomach or one or both arms
- Shortness of breath, with or without chest pain
Additional symptoms can include sweating, dizziness, indigestion, fatigue, nausea and sweating. It is important to realize these indicators can be different in older adults, people with diabetes and women.
Compared to men, women may have different heart attack symptoms. They may experience more chest pressure or discomfort than sudden, intense chest pain, as well as upper back pressure or squeezing around the chest. Other symptoms can include lightheadedness, fainting, vomiting or unexplained weakness or tiredness.
Treatment for heart attack
From the moment you call 911 for a possible heart attack, we work as closely as possible with local emergency medical services (EMS).
Our hospital is recognized as an accredited chest pain center by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for our delivery of quality heart attack care. Using minimally invasive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), we can restore blood flow to the heart within 90 minutes — a standard set by the American Heart Association (AHA). This potentially lifesaving procedure can stop a heart attack in its tracks.
We can conduct even the most complex heart procedures, and we’re the only facility on the Seacoast that performs traditional heart surgery.
The Deputy Heart Attack program
We are proud to partner with the Deputy Heart Attack program. It is a public outreach platform that asks you to recognize and respond in the event of an emergency using early heart attack care (EHAC) materials.
Helpful chest pain information
Hear from our cardiothoracic surgeon, who explains the value of getting unusual chest pain assessed.