The heart is the organ that pumps blood through the circulatory system and provides the body with sufficient oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, if the heart fails to function properly, other parts of the body will also be affected. Heart disease has a high mortality rate. In 2015, it ranked as the third most common cause of deaths in Hong Kong. According to the Department of Health, heart diseases account for over 13% of all deaths in the year. Men, in general, are more likely to suffer from heart attack than women. 

• Coronary Heart Disease: Vascular narrowing may decrease the blood flow. Potentially cause Myocardial Ischemia and Necrosis.
• Arrhythmia : Including Bradycardia, Tachycardia and Atrial Fibrillation .
• Valvular Heart Disease: Including Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Stenosis, Regurgitation, and Prolapse etc.
• Hypertension: A chronic condition in which the blood pressure remains at a high level persistently. Can contribute to other health issues.
• Heart Failure: Chronic cardiac dysfunction.
• Stroke : A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted by a blood clot or when a blood vessel bursts. Brain cells deprived of fresh blood (also known as ischemia) will be damaged.
• Heart Inflammation: Endocarditis, Myocarditis and Pericarditis

• Palpitation
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Weak limbs
• Pain in other body parts: ears, jaw, shoulders, arms, wrists, scapulae, back

• Aging
• Smoking
• Overweight
• Imbalanced diet
• Lack of regular exercises
• Family history

Diagnosis and Examination

• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Echocardiogram
• Treadmill exercise stress test
• 24-hour Holter
• CT Coronary Angiogram

Surgical Treatment (*Inpatient Services)

• Percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)*
• Permanent cardiac pacemaker*
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators(ICD)*
• Catheter ablation*
• Left atrial appendage occlusion(LAAO)*
• Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repairment*
• Transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)*

Heart health is vital to the growth and development of infants, children, and adolescents. Heart diseases, no matter if congenital or acquired, can be detrimental to the healthy development of children. Most of the heart problems diagnosed in childhood are congenital. For every 1000 new-borns, about 6-8 are born with some forms of heart defect. Virtus Paediatric Cardiology aims to incorporate knowledge from multiple disciplines and provide holistic heart-care services, ranging from examination, assessment, treatment, referral and other support, to children in different stages of development.

Advanced coronary interventions

• Chronic total occlusions
• Complex and high risk coronary intervention (CHIP)
• Coronary fistula embolisation

Minimally invasive valvular interventions

• Mitral valve repair and valvuloplasty
• Tricuspid valve repair
• Aortic valve replacement
• Pulmonary valvuloplasty and valve replacement

Structural heart interventions

• left atrial appendage occlusions
• ventricular and atrial septal occluders
• paravalvular leak occluders
• renal sympathetic nerve denervation
• patent foramen ovale occlusion

Peripheral vascular interventions

• chronic total occlusions
• carotid stenting
• renal artery stenting
• Occluded hemodialysis fistula intervention
• Pulmonary embolism and DVT clot extraction
• Inferior Vena Cava filter
• subclavian artery stenting
• internal pudendal artery angioplasty for erectile dysfunction

Embolisation of fistulae

• Coronary fistula embolisation
• pulmonary arteriovenous malformation embolisation

Electrophysiological studies, 3D mapping and catheter ablations

• Supraventricular tachycardia
• Atrial fibrillation
• Ventricular tachycardia
• Frequent ventricular ectopy

Rhythm management devices

• Implantation of transvenous pacemaker
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillator, Cardiac resyhchronisation devices, Loop recorder
• Subcutaneous Implantable cardioverter defibrillator

Pacemaker lead and system Extraction

Percutaneous temporary hemodynamic support (ECMO and Impella)

Virtus Cardiology specialists

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