The Cardiology Department has two standard wards found in pavilion F – IKEM, Ward A on the 4th floor, Ward B on the 5th floor.
The wards A and B have 10 triple and 3 single rooms with the option of telemetric ECG monitoring. 12 beds in ward A comprise the intensive care unit.
Operation at the wards is focused on the diagnosis and therapy of a wide spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, particularly ischaemic heart disease, valvular defects, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy.
Patients with ischaemic heart disease, admitted in the scheduled mode for diagnostic coronarography with the perspective of coronary angioplasty or surgical treatment, represent the largest portion of all patients. Complete pre-operative assessments are done in cases of surgical revascularisation. Furthermore, we admit patients after acute myocardial infarction, treated by direct coronary angioplasty, for after-treatment and rehabilitation from the intensive care unit, or for preparation for subsequent catheter or surgical revascularisation.
Patients with valvular defects are admitted with the perspective of be indicated and prepared, as appropriate, for surgical therapy. In cases of less advanced defects, the patients are monitored at our outpatient office with the aim of an optimal timing of their surgical treatment. Furthermore, the department concentrates patients after valvular defect surgeries with complicated post-operative periods or with suspected dysfunction of their valvular replacements, for consideration of a potential surgical revision.
The wards admit, in the scheduled mode, patients for catheterisation treatment of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. If a serious arrhythmia requiring pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator implantation is confirmed, we prepare the patients and provide subsequent care.
Patients with advanced heart failure undergo a detailed assessment process aimed at evaluating whether the patient should be added to the waiting list for heart transplantation or whether any alternative therapy should be proposed to delay the transplantation (optimisation of medicamentous therapy or resynchronisation therapy). Patients on the waiting list are monitored at our divisions on a regular basis in 3-month intervals with right heart catheterisation and evaluation of the disease progression, adjustment of their therapy or potential listing for urgent transplantation.