Cardiology in Manchester

Your heart is a pump. With every beat, it helps moves blood through your blood vessels and around your body. Blood carries oxygen and essential nutrients to the organs of your body and helps remove waste products.

The heart and blood vessels make up the circulatory (cardiovascular) system. Any type of problem within the cardiovascular system has the potential to have a significant effect on your health and quality of life.

If anything causes the heart to stop functioning normally, or any of the blood vessels become narrow or blocked, you may require medical help.

Cardiology is the medical specialty that investigates and treats diseases of the heart and blood vessels. A doctor who specialises in this area is known as a Consultant Cardiologist. 

As the largest private hospital in the country outside London, The Alexandra Hospital has leading experts in heart health who treat a wide range of cardiovascular symptoms and conditions, including complex conditions. They would be delighted to help you too.

Cardiovascular problems are incredibly common. Indeed, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the UK. Common cardiovascular conditions include:

• Angina and heart attacks;
• Heart rhythm problems;
• Valvular heart disease;
• Heart failure;
• High cholesterol;
• High blood pressure (hypertension);
• Coronary artery disease;
• Cardiomyopathy, and
• Atrial fibrillation (causes an irregular and unusually fast heartbeat). 

A healthy heart is absolutely crucial to your quality of life. Certain symptoms may indicate a potential problem within the cardiovascular system, including:

• Chest pain;
• Breathlessness;
• Palpitations;
• Dizziness;
• Collapsing, and
• Loss of consciousness.

Many of these symptoms can have a number of causes. It is sensible to get medical assessment and advice for your peace of mind, and to ensure you receive any treatment needed at the earliest opportunity.

Other risk factors, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, will usually only be picked up during a test.

At The Alexandra Hospital, our experienced cardiology team will thoroughly investigate your symptoms to determine the cause and then formulate the best treatment plan for you and your specific needs. Why not book your private Cardiology appointment today? 

Treatment for cardiovascular conditions may involve:

• Watchful waiting;
• Medication, and
• Surgery.

Procedures available at The Alexandra Hospital include:

• Keyhole mitral valve surgery – This is a highly specialist procedure that offers a rapid recovery time, helping you get back doing the activities you love within just four weeks. The minimally invasive approach is to correct problems with your mitral valve, which is a small but very important flap in your heart that stops blood flowing the wrong way. It is performed by our highly skilled heart specialists who have paved the way in bespoke keyhole treatment for your heart. 
• Coronary angioplasty – also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This procedure uses a small inflatable balloon and stent to widen or unblock an artery. It is used to treat the symptoms of coronary artery disease which is a condition that causes the narrowing of your coronary arteries (the blood vessels that supply your heart muscle);
• Catheter ablation – used to correct common arrhythmias, including all forms of supraventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter, and some forms of ventricular tachycardia. Radiofrequency energy is precisely delivered to your cardiac tissues by a catheter that is passed through a vein in your leg;
• Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation - Atrial fibrillation causes an abnormal and irregular heart rate. This condition can be effectively cured by pulmonary vein isolation ablation;
• Pacemaker implantation - A pacemaker is a small device with a battery-powered generator and leads which are fitted within your heart. The pacemaker can deliver electrical signals to your heart and therefore preventing it beating abnormally, and 
• Internal cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantation – an ICD is a special type of pacemaker. It not only paces your heart but can also shock your heart back into a normal rhythm should a life-threatening arrhythmia occur.

All these treatments can be easily arranged for you by your Consultant. Careful monitoring during and after treatment ensures your symptoms remain under control, but if your symptoms re-occur or you have any questions or concerns at any time, it is very easy to arrange a time to see your Consultant again for further assessment and help.

Our new CaRi-Heart® technology allows us to identify potential heart problems years before they happen, helping you to take control of your heart health before something serious develops.

When it comes to heart health, understanding your own cardiac health and identifying problems early can prevent serious issues further down the line. It’s thought that 80-90% of cardiovascular disease is preventable, and yet heart and circulatory diseases account for around a quarter of all deaths in the UK.

Our new CaRi-Heart® technology is an advanced heart health assessment tool that can help us to see whether you are showing signs of early stages heart disease or indications that it could soon develop. If the results show you to be at increased risk of cardiovascular problems, we can quickly and easily refer you to one of our specialists. Our consultant cardiologists are experts in preventative medicine and can work with you to slow the progression of your heart problems – in some cases even preventing them completely.

This service is ideal for people with pre-existing medical conditions that might put them at greater risk of heart disease, as well as people with a family history of heart problems. Your doctor can refer you to the service if they feel you have symptoms that would merit further investigation.

How does it work?

CaRi-Heart® works in conjunction with a routine CT scan of your heart. The advanced technology is able to read the scan in great detail, identifying inflammation in your heart in a way routine tests can’t. Artery inflammation is known to be a key indicator of the very early stages of coronary artery disease.

Although standard tests can check for the build up of plaque, a fatty deposit known to lead to heart attacks, this new ability to identify inflammation too means we can detect markers of coronary artery disease even earlier, where other scans would likely miss them.

Combined with analysis of other clinical risk factors, the inflammation readings are fed into a heart attack risk calculator, which puts together a highly accurate personalised risk scoring based solely on factors specific to you.

Clinical sources

CDC prevention programs, Heart.org

Cardiovascular disease statistics UK, British Heart Foundation

CaRi-Heart®, Caristo

When you first meet with your Consultant Cardiologist here at The Alexandra Hospital, they will take a medical history and discuss your symptoms with you. They will want to know:

• The symptoms you have;
• When the symptoms first started;
• Whether they’ve been getting worse over time;
• What (if anything) triggers your symptoms;
• Whether you have received any treatment already, and
• What medication you’re currently taking.

As your cardiovascular system is spread throughout the body, a diagnosis can sometimes involve a number of investigations to pinpoint the cause of your problems. This is where the skill and experience of a Consultant Cardiologist is particularly helpful, as they will be able to determine the most suitable investigations for you.

There are a number of useful investigations that can be carried out to investigate cardiovascular problems. The Alexandra Hospital has state-of-the-art facilities and diagnostic capabilities to ensure any symptoms can be comprehensively investigated:

• An electrocardiogram (ECG)  — this measures the electrical activity of your heart. It can help detect arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, previous heart attacks  and cardiomyopathy.
• Holter monitor/ Patch monitor — an ECG carried out over a longer period of time (usually between 1 – 7 days);
• Cardiac stress testing – used to assess how well your heart functions at different activity level; 
• Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring — this is usually carried out over a 24-hour period. A small digital blood pressure monitor records your blood pressure at regular intervals throughout the day;
• Tilt test — to assess how your heart rate and blood pressure are affected by a change in posture;
• Echocardiography — also known as an echo, this is an ultrasound scan to measure the size, structure and function of the heart. A type of echo called a Doppler ultrasound can assess your  blood flow through the chambers and valves of your heart. It is also used to detect possible blood clots inside the heart, fluid build-up in the pericardium (the sac around the heart) and problems with the aorta;
• Transoesophageal echocardiogram —  an ultrasound probe is passed down your oesophagus (food pipe) to provide a clearer view of the heart;
• Coronary angiography and CT coronary angiography - this provides specialised imaging of the heart and the blood vessels. It is used for finding narrowing in the coronary arteries, significant heart or artery disease, or congenital abnormalities; 
• Cardiac MRI Scan — Cardiac MRI is a helpful tool in diagnosing a wide range of heart conditions. These include heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), heart valve disorders and cardiac tumours;
• Coronary calcium score assessment — measures the calcium level in the walls of the arteries that supply your heart (coronary arteries). This can help to demonstrate early signs of coronary artery disease, and 
• Nuclear Medicine DPD Amyloid Scan —  a remarkably sensitive tool for the diagnosis and exclusion of clinically significant ATTR cardiac amyloidosis. (Cardiac amyloidosis is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in AL and ATTR amyloidosis). Heart failure is almost inevitable during the course of the disease which greatly limits therapeutic options and therefore an early diagnosis and treatment are essential.

Your Consultant will arrange any tests or investigations required for you at The Alexandra Hospital. Once any results are back, they will discuss suitable treatment options with you so that you can make an informed choice about your treatment.

Many people visit a Consultant Cardiologist at because they have been referred by their GP or a Consultant in another specialty. Others choose to self-refer in order to avoid delay.

Many of our patients are from Manchester and the surrounding areas, but people also travel from much further afield, including from the Lake District, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Lancashire, because of the expertise of our Consultant Cardiologists.

At The Alexandra Hospital you will benefit from:

• Rapid access to a leading expert: When you are concerned about a heart problem, you will appreciate fast access to help. We can quickly book you an appointment with a leading Consultant Cardiologist for comprehensive assessment and bespoke treatment as soon as possible.
• Flexible appointments: With Cardiology appointments available throughout the week, it is easy to book a time that’s convenient for you. Consultations are usually in person, but we can provide remote consultations via telephone or video call if required (and where clinically appropriate).
• Dedicated One Stop Clinics: We run a number of dedicated One Stop Clinics for Cardiology patients to ensure rapid access to diagnosis and treatment.
• An experienced team: Your Consultant Cardiologist is supported by specialists like nurses, physiotherapists and radiologists. Complex cases can be discussed with specialists in other fields to formulate the best treatment plan for you.

If any type of heart condition is causing you anxiety or concern, it can be reassuring to know that good help is available, fast. For peace of mind and known expert care, book your private Cardiology appointment in Manchester today.