Heart care center in Gainesville
You can count on our experienced heart and vascular team to meet your heart health needs.
At HCA Florida North Florida Hospital's Heart & Vascular Center, we use the latest advancements and innovative technologies to provide you with a comprehensive cardiovascular program, including cardiac imaging and rehabilitation.
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.
Heart and vascular conditions we treat
We treat the following conditions of the heart and blood vessels:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysms
- Atherosclerosis
- Congenital heart abnormalities
- Heart arrhythmias
- Heart attacks
- Structural heart conditions
- Valve disorders
- Vascular diseases
Our cardiovascular program
We offer a variety of cardiovascular services and take pride in providing you with the advanced heart care you deserve.
Cardiac imaging
Our hospital uses advanced imaging equipment for evaluating the heart's function. Heart imaging is crucial for visualizing the heart's structure and determining function. It also helps identify blockages in vital veins and arteries that can lead to severe conditions, such as a heart attack or cerebrovascular accident (stroke).
Our heart imaging services include:
- Arterial ultrasound
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Coronary calcium scan
- Computerized tomography (CT)
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram
Cardiac catheterization laboratories (cath labs)
Our hospital is home to three full-service cardiac cath labs and one hybrid cath lab. We perform a variety of procedures in these labs, but the main function is to perform cardiac catheterizations to assess the structure and function of the heart's valves, chambers and coronary arteries.
During a cardiac catheterization, small, flexible tubes, or catheters, are inserted into the veins or arteries and guided to various chambers in the heart. The catheters are small enough to be passed through the blood vessels without causing discomfort. An X-ray dye is injected through the catheter and cameras are used to record images of blood flowing through the vessels.
For more information, please contact our cath lab team at (352) 333-4925.
Electrophysiology (EP) lab
Our cardiovascular team includes cardiac electrophysiologists who offer advanced care in the diagnosis and treatment of heart arrhythmias. Our hospital includes a dedicated lab for EP studies. These studies are a form of diagnostic testing used to study the heart's electrical system when abnormalities have been identified.
Treatments for heart arrhythmias may include:
- Cardiac catheter ablation
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation
- Maze surgical treatment for arrhythmia
- Permanent pacemaker placement, including minimally invasive devices
Vascular disease care
There are many types of vascular disease that can affect the veins and arteries that make up the body's vascular system. Vascular disease occurs when a blood vessel becomes narrowed or blocked. This results in decreased blood flow to areas of the body, such as the lower extremities and brain.
We offer a variety of options to treat conditions such as atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms. In addition to traditional surgical approaches, we also perform minimally invasive endovascular procedures. These procedures may offer a faster recovery time and less discomfort.
Interventional cardiology and CT surgery
Our heart specialists offer a variety of cardiovascular surgical options to treat heart and vascular conditions. We offer minimally invasive interventional cardiology procedures in addition to traditional heart surgery.
Our surgical services include:
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
- Left atrial appendage closure
- Repair of congenital heart abnormalities
- Valve repair and replacement
Additionally, our program has been accredited by the American College of Cardiology as a transcatheter aortic valve replacement certified facility and recognized by the American College of Cardiology as an Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).
Choosing a cardiologist
Choosing a cardiologist is an important decision when it comes to your heart health, and your physician should be someone who readily listens to your concerns.
Early signs and symptoms
About 750,000 people in the U.S. have heart attacks each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you are having a heart attack, you may experience one or more of these common symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Back pain
- Chest pressure, squeezing, aching, or burning
- Excessive fatigue
- Feeling of fullness
- Jaw pain
- Pain that travels down one or both arms
- Shortness of breath
When they start, they can be mild or come and go. Most heart damage can occur within the first two hours of a heart attack. To avoid as much irreversible heart damage as possible, EHAC encourages you to know the subtle signs of a heart attack and act on them fast.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, call 911 immediately.
About 750,000 people in the U.S. have heart attacks each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you are having a heart attack, you may experience one or more of these common symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Back pain
- Chest pressure, squeezing, aching, or burning
- Excessive fatigue
- Feeling of fullness
- Jaw pain
- Pain that travels down one or both arms
- Shortness of breath
When they start, they can be mild or come and go. Most heart damage can occur within the first two hours of a heart attack. To avoid as much irreversible heart damage as possible, EHAC encourages you to know the subtle signs of a heart attack and act on them fast.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, call 911 immediately.