Cardiac Risk Testing

A preoperative cardiac risk assessment identifies your chances of having a deadly heart attack due to the stress of surgery. Board-certified physicians Elvira Neculiseanu, MD, and Aleksandre Toreli, MD, at South Brooklyn Care in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, offer thorough cardiac risk assessments. They carefully evaluate every essential aspect of your heart health to determine if you can safely undergo surgery. Call the South Brooklyn Care office today or use online booking to schedule your preoperative cardiac risk assessment.

Are there different types of cardiac risk assessments?

South Brooklyn Care does cardiac risk assessments for individuals, determining their chances of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. They also specialize in another essential evaluation: preoperative cardiac risk assessments.

Why do I need a preoperative cardiac risk assessment?

Before undergoing surgery on your heart or any other part of your body, you must have a cardiac risk assessment.

A preoperative cardiac assessment is essential due to the high risk of having a heart attack during or shortly after surgery. Cardiovascular complications cause one-half of all deaths in patients who undergo surgery unrelated to their hearts.

Identifying your cardiac risk allows your surgeon to minimize your chances of heart complications after surgery or postpone procedures that could endanger your life.

What happens during a preoperative cardiac risk assessment?

Your preoperative cardiac risk assessment includes a thorough physical exam, bloodwork, and other diagnostic tests as needed. Your physical exam evaluates every key measure of your cardiovascular health.

Your provider looks for three key conditions that are most likely to cause a major heart attack during or after surgery:

Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction

The left ventricle is the chamber of your heart that pumps oxygen-rich blood out to your body. When the chamber can’t function as it should, you have LV dysfunction, which often leads to heart failure, heart attacks, and sudden death after a heart attack.

Myocardial ischemia

Myocardial ischemia happens when the blood flow to your heart is reduced, usually by a blockage such as cholesterol plaque. This condition affects the heart’s ability to pump blood, which could lead to abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) and a heart attack.

Heart valve abnormalities

Your heart has four valves that control blood flow through its chambers. These valves can thicken, reducing blood flow (stenosis). This condition can also stop normal valve closure, letting the blood flow in the wrong direction (regurgitation).

Beyond the top three heart conditions, other crucial risk factors include:

• Heart failure
• Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease)
• Significant arrhythmias (certain types of irregular heartbeats)
• Chronic kidney failure
• Past history of a stroke or transient ischemic attack
• Diabetes mellitus requiring insulin
• Chronic lung dysfunction
• Obesity
• Anemia

Your provider at South Brooklyn Care determines your overall risk for a cardiac event during or after surgery and identifies existing heart conditions that justify postponing surgery.

Call South Brooklyn Care today or book an appointment online if you need a preoperative cardiac risk assessment.