CardioVascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Lexington
About the Cardiovascular Institute at BIDMC – Lexington
The CardioVascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Lexington (BIDMC – Lexington) offers a full range of preventative, diagnostic and non-invasive cardiac services, as well as a number of programs designed to manage the cardiac disease of specific patient populations.
In addition to the services we offer at BIDMC – Lexington, the CardioVascular Institute provides extensive outpatient services at our main Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Boston campus. Among its targeted programs, the Advanced Heart Failure Clinic helps patients manage their conditions through education, medical regimen optimization and close follow-up. The clinic offers the newest diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, including cardiac MRI, novel drugs and assist devices, and an outpatient Nesiritide infusion clinic.
On the inpatient side, available therapies include:
- Implantation of devices, such as biventricular pacers, performed by electrophysiologists
- Surgical implantation of ventricular assist devices
- Access to transplantation, if necessary
Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care
BIDMC – Lexington is distinguished by the depth of staff experience and expertise in cardio-oncology, heart disease prevention, noninvasive diagnostics, interventional cardiology and rhythm disturbances. We offer appointments for general cardiology, advanced heart failure, echocardiograms, non-imaging exercise stress testing and pacemaker check services onsite.
Specialty Services
Cancer treatment can have both short- and long-term effects on the heart. Cardiotoxicity — damage to the heart caused by cancer therapies — can sometimes become more life-threatening than the cancer itself.
The most common cancers we help treat include:
- Breast cancer
- Lymphoma (including Hodgkin's disease)
- Gastrointestinal cancers
- Certain types of leukemia
Aarti Asnani, MD, Director of Cardio-Oncology, sees patients at a monthly clinic at BIDMC – Lexington. Email Cardio-Oncology for more information.
Our team is also active in world class basic, translational and clinical research in cardio-oncology.
An echocardiogram is a medical test that produces detailed images of your beating heart. Using ultrasound technology, a transthoracic echocardiogram allows health care providers to see the walls, chambers and valves within your heart, as well as blood flow within your heart. The test is not invasive and does not use any radiation or require any sedation.
The CardioVascular Institute's Echocardiography Laboratory is fully accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL), and all our our interpreting physicians have passed the American Board of Echocardiography Special Competency in Echocardiography examination.
Exercise stress tests are used to challenge the heart and to help determine if there are any significant blockages or to identify irregular heart rhythms. They can also help determine the heart’s functional capacity (how well it is working).
During the test, the patient walks on a treadmill so that the heart works progressively harder while the patient is closely observed for symptoms of chest discomfort or fatigue. At the same time, an electrocardiogram (ECG) records the heart’s electrical rhythms and blood pressure is measured. Abnormalities in blood pressure, heart rate, ECG measures or worsening physical symptoms could indicate a problem.
