Nashville, Tennessee is home to 160 practicing cardiologists who have offices in 2 counties and 11 zip codes, including zip codes 37203, 37232, 37205, 37207, 37211, 37208, 37212, 37075, 37238, 37237, and 37206.

Tennessee achieved statehood in 1796, and its capital city is Nashville. Popular sites to visit include Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or a trip on the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, the steepest passenger train ride in the world. Nashville is home to the famous Grand Ole Opry – but it is only one of hundreds of Nashville entertainment opportunities. Famous Tennesseans: Singers Elvis Presley, Tina Turner and Dolly Parton, Actor Morgan Freeman, and frontiersman Davy Crockett.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Tennessee has a population of 5,962,959. Of this population, 1,364,924 are under the age of 18 and 745,789 are at or above the age of 65.

Description

Cardiology is the treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. A cardiologist is a physician who specializes in treating heart conditions such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, coronary artery disease, congenital heart defects, and disease of the heart valves. A cardiologist can inform your doctor about new drugs or tests that may be beneficial to you.

Some heart conditions can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle, and can be fatal. Methods that cardiologists use to study heart conditions include stress tests, a monitor to record your heart rate and rhythm, a biopsy, which studies a tiny piece of heart tissue, and an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to show a picture of how your heart works.

Diseases / Illnesses Treated

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are blood clot, peripheral vascular disease, angioplasty, hypertension, heart attack, congestive heart failure, angina, atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, coronary heart disease, pericarditis, ventricular tachycardia, acute coronary syndrome, cardiac arrest, bigeminy, heart block, myxoma, cardiac arrhythmias, tricuspid valve disorders, and aortic valve disorders.

Procedures Performed

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including gastric bypass surgery, open heart surgery, valve replacement, valve repair, bypass surgery, carotid artery surgery, catheter ablation, cardiac surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac bypass surgery, cardiovascular surgery, laser angioplasty, valvuloplasty, balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, coronary artery bypass surgery, coronary artery bypass graft, coronary angioplasty, heart transplantation, and carotid surgery.

Tests Performed

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including  electrocardiogram (ecg or ekg), cardiac stress test, holter monitor, echocardiogram, blood test, sphygmomanometer, cardiac enzymes, ivus, electrophysiologic study, and coronary catheterization.