Ask a Texas Heart Institute Doctor 
Informed patients make better patients.

Heart Doctor Recent Questions and Responses 

• I feel silly asking, but are my vague pains and feelings of pressure serious?
  
• Is it safe for me to have gastric bypass surgery if I already have a pacemaker?
  
• Is there a relationship between Glucophage and arrhythmias?
  
• Can long term usage of Coumadin cause acute anemia? 
• Could plasmapheresis cause my atrial tachycardia to return?
  
• Is my heart beating faster than what shows on my blood pressure machine?
  
• Can the medicine Flagyl cause abnormal EKG and/or stress test results?
  
• Could I have damaged my heart via weightlifting?
  
• What can we do for my father who wakes each night feeling cold?
  
• Will my AICD make my heart stronger?
  
• Can a person who is 100% pacemaker dependent continue working?
  
• On a cardiac MRI report, what is meant by rest function and viability?
  
• If a myocardial bridge is a congenital anomaly, why would it suddenly become a problem?
  
• What new drugs or treatments are available for atrial fib?
  
• I'm concerned that my son has Marfan's syndrome and aortic incompetence and may have to wait for further evaluation.
  
• What can I do about persistent symptoms associated with my arrhythmia?
  
• Given my husband's history, how often should he have a stress test?
  
• If a pacemaker has been turned off, will an alarm still sound?
  
• Can one's position while having an EKG cause the heart to appear partially enlarged?
  
• Do you perform percutaneous HVD therapy (valve-in-valve replacement)?
  
• Can eggs be a part of a heart patient's diet?
  
• Is mitral valve replacement for a 93 year old an inconceivable idea?
  
• Should I be concerned about my irregular heart rate?
  
• Is a heart assist device or transplant the best solution for my dad?
  
• How bad is a heart scan score of 338?
  
• How can I know if new symptoms are significant? I have extensive aortic dissection.
  
• Our daughter has a subaortic membrane.What factors do you consider when determining whether surgery should be performed?
  
• Can sleep apnea cause serious effects to my heart?
  
• What does pulmonary regurgitation fraction of 38% mean?
  
• Why would I not want to have a PFO closed?
  
• What is optimum timing for me to pursue another mitral valve repair or
  replacement?
  
• Is cardiomegaly curable?
  
• I have a mechanical heart valve. Is it safe for me to fly?
  
• In a healthy person, does ejection fraction change frequently?
  
• My grandmother has Alzheimer's. How can we best evaluate her chest pain?
  
• What does amiodarone do for the heart?
  
• I have an aneurysm of my left anterior descending coronary artery. What
  physician restrictions should I follow? 

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See also on this site: Heart Information Center

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