Cardiology

We offer this region’s only lipid program for patients with difficult-to-manage dyslipidemia (a disorder of lipoprotein metabolism). If indicated, patients will be given medication with regular follow-up as well as extensive dietary counseling. Advanced laboratory testing is available for patients with complex lipid abnormalities.

Renal denervation treats high blood pressure by delivering radiofrequency energy to nerves near the kidneys that can become overactive. The procedure offers hope for people when lifestyle changes and medications alone fail to adequately their control blood pressure.

Renal denervation is performed through the patient’s leg, and the cardiologist inserts a catheter into the artery leading to the kidney. He then administers energy to calm the excessive activity of the nerves connected to the kidney. The tube is removed, leaving no implant behind. The procedure takes less than an hour, and the patient leaves with only a small bandage on the leg.

NMMC is among the first hospitals nationwide to offer renal denervation.

We offer this area’s only device program, in which we follow more than 1,000 patients with pacemakers and/or implantable defibrillators. Patients are seen routinely, and their devices are “interrogated” for integrity. Newer devices have sophisticated diagnostics that can help diagnose and manage arrhythmias. This information helps us better tailor the choice of medications, cardiac testing and possible interventions. In addition, we offer transtelephonic and remote digital monitoring for pacemaker patients.

NMMC offers this area’s only pulmonary embolus (PE) treatment program. Acute PE is a common cause of sudden death and responsible for 15% of all in-hospital deaths. Our PE response team offers rapid 24/7 consultation and treatment, including ultrasonic thrombolysis and clot aspiration.

Typically, patients spend less than 12 hours in our Chest Pain Center, which allows adequate time for observation without the expense of a hospital admission. This 24-hour cardiac flex unit allows for not only rapid evaluation but also ongoing inpatient care of the patient in the same location.

There are two kinds of holes in the heart, and NMMC is this region's only hospital equipped to fix them. Some people are born with an atrial septal defect (ASD), which is a failure of the septal tissue to form between the atria. The other type, patent foramen ovale (PFO), can only occur after birth when the foramen ovale fails to close. If it doesn't seal properly, stroke and arterial clots can result. Since 2007, doctors at NMMC have successfully closed more than 1,000 “holes in the heart.”

Our cardiologist performed Mississippi’s first case using the 2.00 Max Crown, a new technology in peripheral atherectomy that removes plaque from peripheral arteries above the knee. This device helps doctors clean out blood vessels in the leg much like what Roto-Rooter® does for plumbing and allows for more plaque removal than ever before possible. The interventional cardiology team has a host of non-surgical techniques to keep blood flowing in your legs.

NMMC is the only local treatment center for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), a condition that can lead to progressive heart failure and sudden death. Services include:

• Individualized care plans
• Genotypic analysis for definitive diagnosis
• Comprehensive evaluation (cardiac imaging, stress testing, surveillance for heart rhythm disturbances)
• HOCM family screening
• Stratification regarding risk for sudden cardiac death
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillator and pacemaker therapy
• Alcohol septal ablation or surgical septal myectomy for refractory symptoms

Cardiologists work alongside NMMC’s Cardiothoracic Surgery team on our comprehensive, coordinated heart valve disease treatment program, which allows us to correct serious heart valve issues without an open surgical procedure.

We have partnered with the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis to offer advanced heart failure strategies in Tupelo, including access to heart transplantation and implantable ventricular assist devices at those facilities.