Heart and Vascular Care

Heart and vascular problems can develop and worsen before symptoms appear. Our team provides screening and diagnostic tests that measure how well your heart and blood vessels are working. Regardless of what stage a heart condition is in, we can recommend lifestyle changes, medical management and minimally invasive procedures so you can make informed decisions about your next steps.

Services include:

• Blood pressure evaluation and management
• Cholesterol and lipid clinics
• Family history review and genetic counseling for inherited conditions or elevated risk of cardiac disease
• Lifestyle support, including exercise guidance and tobacco cessation 

We also provide detailed imaging that supports precise diagnosis and guides treatment decisions. Tests include echocardiograms, cardiac CT, cardiac MRI and options that avoid radiation when possible. 

Our heart and vascular care specialists can help you start medication, begin a lifestyle program, monitor over time or schedule a procedure. Whatever your heart health goals are, MU Health Care can offer the support you need.

We evaluate heart rhythm concerns with tools such as electrocardiograms, wearable monitors and imaging. If you are seeking treatment for an arrhythmia, your plan may include: 

• Catheter ablation, including radiation-free approaches when appropriate
• Left atrial appendage closure to lower stroke risk
• Lifestyle changes and medication management
• Pacemaker or defibrillator placement, including MRI-compatible devices

Your provider will go over benefits, risks and follow-up needs so you can choose an approach that works for you.

Our interventional cardiologists use catheter-based techniques to diagnose and treat coronary and structural heart conditions. 

Options include: 

• Coronary angiography and stenting
• Chronic total occlusion procedures
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
• Evaluation for nonsurgical valve therapies when appropriate 

We provide second opinions and coordinate with other specialists, so you have a clear understanding of your options, including surgical and nonsurgical treatments.

When a heart condition affects your lungs, you may benefit from cardiothoracic (heart and chest) surgery performed by our specialists. This is part of the complete care offered at MU Health Care.

For conditions that affect blood flow, our heart and vascular care specialists can provide noninvasive or diagnostic testing, minimally invasive solutions, vascular surgeries, and hybrid interventions using robotically assisted surgical techniques.

Our experts personalize prevention and care for women at every stage of life, including cardio-obstetrics for those who are pregnant or planning pregnancy. Your team may include cardiologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists and OB/GYN doctors who work together on medications, monitoring plans and delivery considerations.

When appropriate, we offer radiation-free ablation techniques and MRI-compatible pacemakers and defibrillators. We explain device features, follow-up needs and lifestyle considerations so you can decide what fits your day-to-day life.

In our cardiac intensive care unit, board-certified specialists work with critical care nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and imaging teams. Together, they provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) heart and lung life support when the heart can’t pump blood efficiently enough, as well as continuous monitoring, advanced therapies and timely updates for you and your loved ones.

Personalized care for heart failure may include: 

• Guideline-directed medications
• Close monitoring
• Education on lifestyle factors, such as sodium intake
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Remote checks when possible
• Evaluation for advanced therapies when appropriate 

Our heart care experts outline options step by step so you can choose the level of care that aligns with your goals.

As a Level I trauma center and Level I STEMI heart attack center, we provide immediate, coordinated care for heart emergencies. If you are experiencing a heart attack, our team quickly moves you from the emergency department to the cardiac catheterization lab. There, our interventional cardiologists open blocked arteries using minimally invasive techniques. On average, our time to restore blood flow is 47 minutes — well below the national goal of 90 minutes.