Advanced Heart Failure
When your heart is unable to pump blood properly, you may be diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which is a chronic condition that can get worse over time. Getting treatment sooner may help slow the progression and relieve symptoms. Heart specialists at Illinois are skilled in diagnosing and treating heart failure. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue and having swollen ankles, legs or stomach. When you choose Illinois for your heart failure care, you get cardiologists and surgeons trained in the latest heart care testing, treatment and procedures. As part of a national care team across sites of care, your doctors share best practices and research, delivering advanced heart care close to home.
Every appointment starts with a conversation about how you are feeling, any new symptoms or concerns. Your care team will take the time to answer all your questions. By getting to know you, your doctor and care team deliver the heart care that’s right for you.
For further information or appointments, contact us at 855-692-6482.
Congestive heart failure treatments and care
Congestive heart failure is a condition that has stages and gets worse over time. Cardiovascular disease, such as narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (AFib), a leaky heart valve, and inherited conditions can cause congestive heart failure. Your doctor listens to understand you. Then, your doctor works with you to create a care plan that’s right for you.
Our multispecialty cardiovascular care teams deliver many treatment options for advanced heart failure, including:
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
- Coronary bypass surgery
- Heart valve repair or replacement
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
- Medical management, including remote patient monitoring
- Medication therapies
- Ventricular assist device (VAD)
Get a second opinion on your heart or vascular condition, diagnosis or care plan
Get the confidence and peace of mind that your doctor and cardiovascular care plan are right for you. It’s easy to get a second opinion at Illinois. We can review your medical records and healthcare history to answer your questions and discuss options. Talk with one of our doctors about a personalized heart care plan.
When you are facing a new diagnosis or are deciding on a surgical or therapeutic treatment plan, there’s a lot to think about. If you are looking for a second opinion for advanced heart care, our cardiologists can also connect you with the right specialists for minimally invasive surgery and open-heart surgery, including coronary bypass, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and ventricular assist devices (VADs). Our heart and vascular specialists can provide a second opinion, based on our experience and as part of a national care team.
Before your appointment, check with your insurance company to find out if a second opinion is covered. We can request your medical records on your behalf, so that they can be shared with your care team before your arrival.
Helping you transition home from the hospital
After being discharged from the hospital, we connect you with follow-up care. Our clinic will help you manage your heart condition until you are seen by your heart doctor. You will be given information on how to take care of your heart to help avoid a more serious condition.
Your doctor connects the dots for your care — including connecting you to heart screenings and the right cardiovascular specialists. To diagnose heart failure, your doctor may recommend testing, such as:
- Cardiac nuclear imaging
- Echocardiogram (TTE)
- Exercise stress testing
- Stress echocardiograms
- Transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE)
- 24-hour ambulatory EKG monitoring, also known as Holter monitoring
Call 911 or immediately go to an emergency room when someone is experiencing the following:
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing
- Chest pain
- Fainting or dizziness
- Sudden numbness or weakness
- Sudden inability to see, speak, walk or move
- Confusion or changes in mental state
- Fever with convulsions, or fever in a child 3 months old or younger
- Bleeding that cannot be stopped
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Blood in the urine or bloody diarrhea
- Severe headache or head injury
- Intense abdominal pain
If you or a loved one are not certain if a visit to the emergency room is necessary, please go to your nearest ER for an evaluation.
How do doctors test for heart failure?
- A physical exam
- Blood tests
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
- Exercise stress test
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
With cardiovascular specialists trained in the latest heart testing, treatments and procedures, care teams at sites of care connect you to advanced heart care close to home.
Is congestive heart failure serious?
Talk to your doctor about your symptoms, or get a second opinion on a diagnosis or treatment options.
What are the stages of heart failure?
- Stage A – high risk for heart failure
- Stage B – pre-heart failure (structural heart disease)
- Stage C – heart failure
- Stage D – advanced heart failure
Heart failure is a serious condition. At sites of care, your experienced care team has the expertise to deliver a personalized heart care plan based on your specific needs.
How is heart failure treated?
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
- Heart transplant
- Medical management including remote patient monitoring
- Medication therapies
- Ventricular assist device (VAD) to support your heart while preparing for surgery
What are common symptoms of heart failure?
- Feeling tired or weak
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble breathing when lying down
- Weight gain with swelling in the feet, legs, ankles or stomach
Symptoms of end-stage heart failure are more distressing and may include more frequent shortness of breath, fatigue, anxiety and depression.