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Heart Failure: What to Expect

  • About
  • About
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
  • Echocardiogram
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Chest X-ray
  • B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) testing
  • Cardiac MRI
  • Other tests
Treatments
  • Cardiac resynchronization therapy
  • Controlling risk factors
  • Heart transplant
  • Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
  • Medications
  • Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)
  • Pacemaker
  • Valvular surgery
What to Expect
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
  • Echocardiogram
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Chest X-ray
  • B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) testing
  • Cardiac MRI
  • Other tests
Treatments
  • Cardiac resynchronization therapy
  • Controlling risk factors
  • Heart transplant
  • Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
  • Medications
  • Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)
  • Pacemaker
  • Valvular surgery
What to Expect

Heart Failure: What to Expect

We want you to be as informed as possible about your visits with us. Learn more about what to expect at your first appointment.

Heart Failure: What to Bring To Your First Appointment

In order to maximize your appointment time with your cardiologist, be prepared for your first appointment by gathering all of the necessary information:

  • Bring your medication list and the actual pill bottles for those medications.
  • Bring any test results including laboratory tests. It is best to obtain the actual images (on CD-ROM) for:
    • Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)
    • Angiogram (dye injections to look at the arteries supplying the heart)
    • Stress tests (tests to determine whether the blood flow to the heart if normal)

We usually obtain notes from your physician beforehand, but we encourage you to bring any medical documentation available to you.

Heart Failure Diagnostic Testing

If you do not have your medical records, you may need to have diagnostic testing performed. Our clinic will help you set up appointments for the testing. Learn more about heart failure diagnosis.

Heart Failure: What to Expect at Your First Appointment

Typically, your first appointment takes one hour or longer.

During this appointment:

  • Meet our team: You will meet our heart failure team, including a heart failure physician and nurse.
  • Medical history: We will review your medical history and any of the tests that have been sent with you.
  • Your condition: You will learn about your condition, receive dietary recommendations and may have medications adjusted and other tests ordered.
  • Testing: We usually do some tests, including:
    • Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to measure your heart and valve function
    • Electrocardiogram (EKG) to assess the rhythm of your heart
    • If you have a defibrillator or pacemaker, we may interrogate your device to make sure it is working appropriately.
    • We may ask you to have blood drawn at our laboratory, to check your kidney and liver functions.

Heart Failure: What to Expect at Future Visits

At future visits, depending on the severity of your condition, we may order a number of diagnostic tests. These may include:

  • Exercise stress testing (VO2 max testing)
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Genetic testing
Previous Section Next Section

Condition Spotlight

Physician Stories Advancing Heart Failure Treatment: A Conversation with Dr. Teuteberg Watch Video
Preventing Heart Disease - Infographic
Preventing Heart Disease - Infographic Read Story
A Heartfelt Return: Joe's Heart Transplant Story
A Heartfelt Return: Joe's Heart Transplant Story Play Video | 4:17
Heart Failure Q&A
Stanford Physicians Deactivate Heart Pump with Catheter-Based Approach
Stanford Physicians Deactivate Heart Pump with Catheter-Based Approach Play Video | 4:12
Fighting Heart Failure with a Low Sodium Diet
Fighting Heart Failure with a Low Sodium Diet Play Video | 3:54
Stanford Cardiologist, Dr. Michael Fowler, on Heart Failure Watch Video

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.

Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.

Open Trials Closed Trials
An Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability Study of Ixmyelocel-T Administered Via Transendocardial Catheter-based Injections to Subjects With Heart Failure Due to Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy (IDCM) Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Open-Label Study of Perhexiline in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Moderate to Severe Heart Failure Heart Failure, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Evaluation of the HeartWare Left Ventricular Assist Device for the Treatment of Advanced Heart Failure Heart Failure
Attain Performa(TM) Quadripolar Lead Study Heart Failure
Combination of Mesenchymal and C-kit+ Cardiac Stem Cells as Regenerative Therapy for Heart Failure Heart Failure
Clinical Trials View All »

Clinics for What to Expect

  • Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Clinic
    650-724-4942
  • Heart Surgery Clinic
    650-724-4942
  • Mechanical Circulatory Support Program
    650-723-5468
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