Cardiac Assist Devices
Put Your Heart in the Right Place
Get help for your heart or peripheral vascular condition, and find out how you can manage your heart health. Talk with the cardiac specialists at Cottage Health. Call our heart and vascular care center at 1-844-51-HEART.
When your heart needs help to beat properly, you may be a candidate for one of several cardiac assist devices or therapies from the cardiovascular specialists at Cottage Health on California’s Central Coast. You’ll work with our experienced physicians, surgeons and therapists to determine the best approach for your specific situation.
Pacemakers
A small medical device placed in the chest, a pacemaker helps control abnormal heart rhythms by using electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. A pacemaker often eliminates arrhythmia symptoms and helps improve your quality of life and activity levels. Pacemakers may be used to treat common heart rhythm disorders, including:
- Bradycardia – Slow heart rhythm
- Syncope – Temporary loss of consciousness (fainting or passing out) from loss of blood flow to the brain; may indicate a heart rhythm problem
- Tachycardia – Rapid heart rhythm
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
Arrhythmias may also be treated with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Similar to a pacemaker, an ICD uses both low-energy and high-energy electrical pulses to treat life-threatening heart rhythm disorders. When your heart beats irregularly, an ICD device provides a shock to restore a normal rhythm. ICD implantation is the surgical insertion of an ICD.
Cardiac Resynchronization
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), also known as biventricular pacing, uses an implantable device like the pacemaker to coordinate and synchronize heart contractions. CRT often helps improve symptoms of heart failure. If you live with congestive heart failure (CHF), ask your Cottage Health cardiologist for an evaluation to determine if you might be a candidate for CRT.
Meet Our Heart & Vascular Doctors
The Heart and Vascular Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is a nationally recognized regional destination for cardiovascular expertise and medical management of complex heart and vascular conditions.
The Meet the Doctors seminars give you an opportunity to learn about conditions of the heart and the latest treatment options. The healthy conversations include a 45-minute presentation by a physician, followed by ample time for questions.
The session is free. Please register in advance by calling us at 1-844-51-HEART.
