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Heart Attack

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A heart attack (myocardial infarction) is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. At Baystate Health, our expert team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and cardiac nurses provides rapid, lifesaving care to keep you safe.

We’re the only hospital in western Massachusetts equipped to treat even the most severe heart attacks. Our team focuses on quickly restoring blood flow to the heart, using advanced technology and proven treatments. From prevention to emergency care and recovery, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

What Is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack is a life-threatening condition that happens when one of the coronary arteries is blocked, preventing blood from reaching the heart. Without enough blood, portions of the heart muscle can die.

Most often, a heart attack occurs because of atherosclerosis, or the buildup of cholesterol and calcium (called plaque) in the arteries. If the plaque breaks open, it can form a blood clot that blocks the artery.

Types of Heart Attacks

There are two main types of heart attacks:

  • STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction), when the artery is fully blocked. It is the most serious type of heart attack and requires immediate treatment.
  • N-STEMI (non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction), when the artery is partially blocked. It is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate attention, but may cause less heart damage than a STEMI.

Why Choose Baystate Health for Heart Attack Treatment?

Baystate Health leads the region in heart attack care. You can count on us for:

  • Among the fastest heart attack care in the nation: The longer a heart attack goes without treatment, the more damage it causes. We’re in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for our door-to-balloon time (how quickly we get patients from the hospital doors to a balloon angioplasty procedure to unblock their artery). We can do this procedure and stop a heart attack 25 minutes faster than the national standard.
  • Unmatched expertise in western Massachusetts: Our cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists have the experience to treat the most severe and complex heart attacks. We treat all STEMI patients in western Massachusetts and more STEMI patients than any other hospital in Massachusetts.
  • Nationally recognized heart attack treatment: Our excellent cardiac procedure outcomes have earned our cardiac surgery program a prestigious three-star ranking from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
  • 24/7 emergency care: Our cardiac catheterization laboratory is the only one in the region open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to treat heart attacks and immediately unblock arteries.
  • Latest clinical trials: We are one of the highest enrollers of patients in clinical trials for interventional procedures nationwide. We stay up to date on the newest therapies and can help you get access to advanced heart treatments.
  • Excellent cardiac rehabilitation: Our Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) for meeting the highest standards of cardiovascular rehabilitation care. We support you through heart attack recovery with diet, exercise, and stress reduction education.

[h2] Symptoms of a Heart Attack

Not all heart attacks cause symptoms. When they do occur, heart attack symptoms include:

  • Chest pain (angina), which can radiate to your throat, jaw, shoulder, arm, and back
  • Discomfort in the upper abdomen or upper back
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Sweating

Call 911 if you think you or a loved one is experiencing a heart attack. First responders will start lifesaving treatment on the way to the hospital.

Causes and Risk Factors for a Heart Attack

The main cause for both types of heart attack is coronary artery disease, or the buildup of plaque in the arteries through atherosclerosis. Other causes can include:

  • Coronary artery spasm, or sudden tightening of the artery
  • Coronary embolism, when blood clots travel from elsewhere in the bloodstream and block a coronary artery
  • Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), when a tear forms in the coronary artery wall and creates a blood clot

Risk factors for coronary artery disease and heart attack include:

  • Age, with men 55 and older and women 65 and older at greater risk
  • Chronic health conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity
  • Family history of heart attacks
  • Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, not exercising, and having high stress

Diagnosing a Heart Attack

Your doctor will use rapid tests to diagnose a heart attack. We also have advanced imaging that looks at blood flow, vessel size, and plaque buildup to help us provide the most effective treatment.

As soon as you arrive at the hospital, you will have:

  • Troponin test (blood test): This blood test checks for a protein called cardiac troponin, which only appears during a heart attack.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): This quick, noninvasive test records the heart’s electrical signals through sensors (electrodes) on your skin. It helps identify the patterns of a STEMI or NSTEMI heart attack.

Your doctor may recommend invasive testing to determine if you need a stent to keep your artery open, what size of stent to use, and how best to place it. We offer state-of-the-art interventional tests that use a thin tube (catheter) to access the blocked coronary artery. These tests include:

  • Coronary flow reserve: This test uses a catheter to measure your blood flow at stress and rest. It helps diagnose blockages in the tiny blood vessels that feed into the heart muscle that otherwise would be too small to measure.
  • Fractional flow reserve: A doctor uses a pressure sensor to measure blood flow around the blockage. It helps determine if the blockage is significantly limiting blood flow and whether to use a stent or medication.
  • Intravascular ultrasound: By inserting a miniature ultrasound probe into the artery, we can create detailed images of the artery walls and plaque buildup. This helps us determine the right size of stent for the artery.
  • Invasive coronary angiography: This test uses contrast dye and X-rays to identify blockages. It’s often used if there is an active or ongoing heart injury.
  • Optical coherence tomography: A light-based imaging probe creates high-resolution images inside the artery. This sophisticated equipment precisely measures the artery size and plaque characteristics, helping ensure the optimal stent size and placement.

Ongoing Monitoring for Heart Health

After a heart attack, we monitor your heart for future blockages and overall health. These tests include:

  • Cardiac CT (computed tomography) scan: This noninvasive imaging test uses X-ray to create detailed pictures of the heart and vessels. During the scan, you lie on a table that moves through a tube-like scanner while the images are taken.
  • Echocardiogram (echo): This imaging test uses ultrasound (sound waves) to create a picture of the heart to evaluate how well the heart is pumping blood.
  • Exercise and pharmacologic (medicine-induced) stress test: This test measures blood flow while you walk on a treadmill or ride an exercise bike. It checks for blockages in the arteries by seeing how hard the heart is working to pump blood during exercise.

Treating a Heart Attack

As one of the top heart centers in the country, we have the expertise to quickly determine the safest and most effective heart attack treatment for you. Treatment options include:

Thrombolytics (medication)

These powerful blood clot-dissolving medicines are delivered intravenously. They can be a good option if you go to a partner hospital that is more than two hours away from Baystate Medical Center. You may receive the medication at your local hospital to keep you safe while you’re transferred to our care.

Balloon Angioplasty

This minimally invasive treatment, also called a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary angioplasty, involves inserting a wire with a balloon on the end into the blocked artery, usually through a blood vessel in the wrist or groin. Your doctor inflates the balloon to push the plaque against the artery wall and restore blood flow. This is typically followed by stent placement (metal mesh tube) to keep the artery open.

The procedure takes several hours; many people go home the same day.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery (Heart Bypass)

If you have multiple blocked vessels or additional complications, your doctor might recommend open-heart surgery. During the procedure, we use a healthy artery or vein from your chest, arm, or leg to reroute blood around the blocked artery.

After your surgery, you will be monitored by our specialized care team in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU). Full recovery can take up to four months.

Recovering From a Heart Attack

We’re here to support you as you recover from a heart attack and return to your daily life. After your heart attack treatment, you continue care with your cardiologist through follow-up appointments to monitor your heart health and keep you on track.

You will also be referred to our cardiac rehabilitation team. Our rehabilitative specialists provide exercise monitoring and training, nutrition guidance, medication education, and help returning to normal activities as you recover.

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