Heart Failure Service & Advanced Pacemakers

Heart failure may result from many conditions including heart attacks (ischaemic heart disease), cardiomyopathy and heart valve dysfunction. Symptoms may be shortness of breath or leg swelling. St Vincent’s Hospital offers a wide variety of heart failure services ranging from diagnostic right heart catheterization to artificial hearts and heart transplantation. The large majority of heart failure symptoms may be controlled with medications.

Sometimes heart failure may be exacerbated by electrical delays and incoordination of heart contraction. Special ‘bi-ventricular’ pacemakers may be of benefit here. The electrophysiologists at St Vincent’s hospital remain at the forefront of novel pacemaker therapy.