Heart and Vascular Clinics

Introduction:
Heart and vascular surgery center in Al Salam Al Ahmadi Hospital (SAHH) has the most recent, most updated and comprehensive medical health services for cardiac patients and under this center there are four main units:

1. Outpatient clinics:
   Outpatient clinics are considered one of the most leading and reliable clinics in diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases, and they include comprehensive clinical examination, and a full range of cardiac investigations, which is followed by full discussion of the case details and the most appropriate possible ways of prevention and treatment of different cardiac diseases.
   
2. Outpatient investigations: These OPD investigations include:
   1. Electrocardiogram (ECG) which can diagnose a lot of cardiac problems for example: ischemic heart disease and irregularity of the heart rhythm, marked tachycardia or bradycardia, as well as hypertrophy and dilatation of one or more of the cardiac chambers.
   2. Echocardiography (heart ultrasound):
      1. including the colour Doppler to diagnose a wide range of cardiac diseases, including for example valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, diseases of the aorta and pulmonary arteries, and precisely can assess the strength of contractility and relaxation of the heart muscle.,
      2. In SAHH there is also a portable echo machine that can be easily transferred to different parts of the hospital as well as outside the hospital for emergency situations, who are unable to come to the OPD.
      3. Transoesophageal echocardiography which can help in diagnosis of a lot of cardiac problems, like atrial septal defect, or thrombus in the left atrium, especially in patients with atrial fibrillation.
      4. Stress echocardiography: which can diagnose ischemic heart disease for those patients who cannot do the regular treadmill stress test.
   3. Cardiac enzymes: Very helpful device in measuring different cardiac enzymes, that can diagnose some critical heart problems in a matter of 15 minutes, e.g. recent myocardial infarction (heart attack), and heart failure cases, and it can differentiate between dyspnea as a result of heart failure and dyspnea due to other causes e.g. respiratory causes.
   4. 24 hours Ambulatory blood pressure device:
      1. A device that measures the BP while the patient is awaken and sleeping for period of 24 hours, it can help in diagnosing patients with white coat hypertension (those patients who developed high BP whenever they are inside the hospital, and their BP comes back to normal after going out of the hospital “False hypertension readings”) so the ABP will help in avoiding giving unnecessary medications for such patients.
      2. ABP can be also helpful in patients with fluctuating blood pressure readings, in order to prescribe the correct medications, correct dose and the correct timing of treatment.
   5. Ankle brachial index: An easy device to measure the BP in both arms and both legs at the same time, and hence can help in diagnosing patients with peripheral vascular disease, and therefore start their management.
   6. Treadmill stress test: Can help in diagnosing ischemic heart disease patients, based on the changes in the ECG, even without any accompanying chest pain (e.g. Diabetic patients with silent ischemia)
   7. Holter device and External loop recorder: Holter is a device that can be attached to the patient for 24 hours to monitor his heart rhythm, this device can be attached comfortably under patient’s clothes In case of infrequent symptoms another device called ELR could be attached from 2 days to 2 months (ELR is like a shirt of a small patch attached to the patient under clothes), ELR can monitor the patient rhythm even while the patient is practising his favourite sport.
3. Cath lab unit.
   1. Which has one of the most updated and equipped cath lab in Kuwait, with all advanced technologies available for accurate diagnosis and treating coronary artery diseases using the drug eluting stents or (smart stents)
   2. Cath lab is ready 24/7 to treat all types of cardiac emergencies including acute myocardial infarction cases (acute heart attack), complete heart block cases, etc.
   3. It has also advanced devices for more accurate imaging of the different layers of the coronary arteries as well as inside the vessel, (e.g. IVUS or intravascular ultrasound), to precisely determine the degree of the stenosis, and percentage of calcification, and hence the proper management.
   4. FFR (fraction flow reserve) which is a device that measures the pressure gradient across the coronary narrowing (e.g. in case of borderline stenosis), in order to decide precisely if the narrowing will need a stent or not.
   5. Rotablator: we have 2 different rotablation devices which are quite helpful in some complex cases as these 2 devices help in removing the extra calcium inside the coronary arteries before deployment of a stent.
   6. Temporary and permanent pacemaker: for those patients who are having too slow heart beating.
   7. ICD device: a device which is inserted to give a little shock to those patients who are suffering of serious arrhythmia (VF), such arrhythmia will lead to stop their heart beating, and this - ICD at that time is a life saving device.
4. ICU (intensive care units)
   1. Includes eight beds in the ICU and four beds in the CCU were recently added, to follow up the patients in private separate rooms coving the patient’s full privacy and safety.
   2. Patients with critical cardiac cases are admitted to the ICU, including acute myocardial infarction, acute heart failure cases, serious cardiac arrhythmias, and etc., those patients need close monitoring and care.
   3. SAHH is using the automatic cardiac compression device (LUCAS) which was found to be very effective during cardiac resuscitation specially for cases with prolonged cardiac arrest.

Working hours:
Hours of Operation: Saturday - Thursday 09:00 AM till 09:00 PM

Contact us:
Contact No: 1830003 Ext. 6102