We offer the following testing for diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (note Medicare will provide coverage for these tests):

Electrocardiography (EKG):  traditional heart tracing used for assessment of a wide variety of symptoms

Treadmill Stress Testing: this in-office testing involves EKG monitoring of the heart while exercising.  It is very useful forruling out coronary artery disease (CAD), which is "hardening of the arteries" that supply the heart, in patients who have had chest pain or other symptoms.  CAD is a leading cause of death in the United States.  Stress tests are offered at our Hayesville office.

Stress-Nuclear Testing:  this is a two-part stress test that certain patients may require which utilizes either a traditional exercise test or a pharmacologic stress test combined with a radioactive tracer, infused through an IV.  The tracer is designed to "light-up" heart muscle when imaged using nuclear medicine techniques.   We administer stress-nuclear tests at Murphy Medical Center.

Holter Monitoring/ Event monitoring:  these evaluations involve placement of EKG electrodes on the skin for a period of 24 hours or longer in order to "capture" a heart rhythm.  These tests are often used for patients who have intermittent rapid heart rates, fluttering of the heart, or other symptoms.  We offer hook-up and interpretation of these tests in our office, or will arrange through Murphy Medical Center.

Arterial Dopplers:  using a handheld doppler-based device, this valuable non-invasive test is a simple means of assessing patients for peripheral vascular disease (PVD).  PVD is a hardening of the arteries of the legs, which can lead to severe calf or foot pain, especially when walking.