Find a healthy heartbeat with help from our experts.

Keeping your heart healthy is the top priority of our expert cardiovascular and thoracic team at Yuma Regional Medical Center. Our comprehensive approach offers you a full spectrum of high-quality, safe and patient-centered care, from screening and diagnostic testing to advanced treatments and rehabilitative and wellness support.

As your community provider of complete cardiovascular services, we are equipped with the advanced technologies your specialist needs to diagnose and treat a wide range of heart and vascular conditions. Dedicated facilities include a patient care tower specifically for heart and vascular patients, a cardiac catheterization lab and a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room. Our cardiac, thoracic and vascular expertise means you receive highly personalized care designed for your unique healthcare needs — from initial diagnosis through recovery and beyond.

Cardiology Care for Children

When you’re a parent, nothing is more important than the health and wellbeing of your child. Find care to restore and sustain healthy hearts with our pediatric cardiology services.

Providers

Put your heart care in the expert hands of our heart and vascular specialists.

Mohammed Al-Amoodi, M.D.

Interventional Cardiology

Gabriel G. Carabello

General Surgery, Vascular Surgery

George B. Deckey, M.D.

General Surgery, Vascular Surgery

Damon B. Dixon, M.D.

Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiology

Sara M. Edeiken, M.D.

General Surgery, Vascular Surgery

Kameel Kassab, M.D.

Interventional Cardiology

Rhoda F. Leichter, M.D.

General Surgery, Vascular Surgery

Daniel Lopez, M.D.

General Surgery, Vascular Surgery

David Brent Meyer, M.D.

Cardiac Electrophysiology

James F. Moon, M.D.

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Brandon Propper, M.D.

Vascular Surgery

Derek Von Haag, M.D.

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Conditions and Services

Our broad range of cardiac, thoracic and vascular expertise enables us care for a wide spectrum of conditions which include:

  • Aneurysms
  • Arrhythmias (Irregular Heart Rhythms)
  • Atherosclerosis (Narrowing or Blockage of Blood Vessels)
  • Cardiomyopathies
  • Carotid Disease
  • Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
  • Heart Attacks
  • Heart Valve Disorders, Including Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Valve Prolapse
  • Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
  • Mesenteric or Intestinal Artery Disease
  • Pericardial Effusion
  • Pericarditis
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • Stroke
  • Varicose Veins
  • Vascular Trauma

While there may be times these tests and procedures take place as an inpatient, many can be scheduled as an outpatient if your health is stable. If you have a cardiovascular emergency, you may experience some of our outpatient services while in the hospital. Certain other services typically require an inpatient hospital stay, including specific surgeries, complicated interventional procedures and more.

To identify the underlying cause of your heart condition, one or more of the following diagnostic tests may be performed.

  • Cardiac Catheterization
    This procedure typically takes two to three hours and looks for plaque and narrowing or blockages in the coronary arteries. It is also used to measure blood pressure within the heart and to evaluate heart muscle and valve function.
  • Cardiac Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
    For this non-invasive test, a computer creates 3D images of the heart to help identify heart disease and/or blockages in the arteries.
  • Carotid Angiogram
    This test uses contrast dye and an X-ray procedure to identify blockages in your carotid arteries – the large arteries that supply blood to the brain.
  • Coronary Calcium Scoring
    Using a CT scan, this test looks for a buildup of calcium on artery walls in your heart to help determine if heart disease is present and, if so, its severity.
  • Echocardiogram
    Ultrasound is used to produce images of your heart’s size, structure and motion.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
    This test records your heart’s electrical activity to determine if a heart attack has occurred, to help predict if one is developing and to monitor changes in heart rhythm.
  • Electrophysiology Study
    By assessing your heart’s electrical activity, this test helps to identify the cause or source of an abnormal heartbeat. Results can help your doctor determine whether you may need medications, a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), cardiac ablation or surgery.
  • Exercise Stress Test
    With electrodes placed on your chest, this test measures heart function as you walk on a treadmill. It can help identify coronary artery disease as well as the possible cause of symptoms such as chest pain.
  • Holter Monitoring
    A Holter monitor is a portable, battery-operated device worn for 24 to 48 hours or longer to record your heart’s activity and determine if you have fast, slow or irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias.
  • Implantable Loop Recorder
    Considered the best way to record sporadic heart rhythm irregularities, this device is placed under the skin in a minor procedure and can record your heart’s rhythm for up to 14 months.
  • Intravascular Ultrasound
    This diagnostic tool uses soundwaves to produce internal images of your coronary arteries and evaluate their condition.
  • Peripheral Vascular Angiogram
    Using contrast dye and X-rays, this test helps to identify areas that are narrowed or blocked in one or more of the arteries that supply blood to the legs.
  • Tilt Table Test
    This test helps to identify why you may be feeling faint or lightheaded. You will be asked to lie down on a table that is slowly tilted upward to measure the response of your blood pressure and heart rate to gravity.
  • Transesophageal Echocardiogram
    Using the high-frequency sound waves of ultrasound, this test creates images of your heart’s muscle, chambers, valves and outer lining (pericardium), as well as the blood vessels that connect to your heart.

Early recognition of symptoms and risk factors can prevent the development of heart disease. Preventive cardiology services provide you with essential tools for a heart-healthy life and the changes needed to improve your well-being. With a thorough understanding of your health history and needs, our providers will create a personalized treatment plan based on the latest cardiac care advancements and medical evidence.

Our comprehensive services include an assessment of cardiovascular risk factors as well as evaluation and management of conditions such as high cholesterol, obesity and coronary artery disease. Treatment is designed to slow or stop the progression of heart disease.

Your provider will choose from a broad range of non-invasive cardiac diagnostic testing to check for disease, damage or abnormalities in the heart. These tests also help to determine if a heart attack occurred and damage to your heart. In addition, we can measure the degree and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and recommend treatments or lifestyle changes accordingly.

Interventional cardiology, a non-surgical treatment option, uses catheters — small, flexible tubes — to repair damaged or weakened blood vessels, narrowed arteries or other affected parts of the heart structure. These treatments can help prevent heart attacks, stroke or heart failure and provide treatment in critical situations such as cardiac arrest. They may also be used in caring for chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, valve disease and heart structure defects.

These procedures involve the minimally-invasive practice of catheterization whereby your interventional cardiologist threads a catheter through your blood vessels to the heart. Instruments attached to the catheter allow your cardiologist to perform remarkable procedures—without major surgery—such as:

  • Creating diagnostic images of the heart
  • Opening restricted arteries with balloon angioplasty or stenting
  • Repairing aneurysms and other blood vessel damage with grafts
  • Repairing or replacing damaged heart valves
  • Mending heart structure problems such as a patent foramen ovale (hole)
  • Inserting ventricular assist devices
  • Implanting atrial occluder devices for stroke prevention

Interventional cardiologists or interventional radiologists also use catheterization to treat blood vessel issues in other parts of the body.

Above all, our interventional team is dedicated to helping you avoid emergencies, hospital stays and heart disease. Our spirit of prevention helps Yuma area residents live active, healthy lives by steering clear of heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening conditions.

Often, in “elective” or non-emergent circumstances, these procedures can be scheduled as outpatient. However, many inpatients may also require these services during a planned or unexpected hospital stay.

If you develop a heart rhythm condition, our specialists can help. With special training, exceptional experience and advanced treatments, our cardiac electrophysiology team provides care for adult patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter, arrhythmias, ventricular tachycardia, heart failure, bradycardia or syncope. We offer the latest in cardiac medicine with these procedures for your specific heart care needs:

  • Diagnostic electrophysiology studies
  • Cardiac resynchronization therapy
  • His bundle pacing
  • Left bundle branch pacing
  • Radiofrequency ablation
  • Left atrial appendage closure
  • Cryoballoon ablation
  • Defibrillator and cardiac device implantation

Diagnostic Electrophysiology Studies
Your specialist may recommend an electrophysiology (EP) study that records electrical activity in and electrical pathways of your heart to help find the cause of an abnormal heart rhythm.

If you are a candidate for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or pacemaker, EP helps determine which device is best for you and monitors the effectiveness of your device.

An EP study can also identify patients who may benefit from cardiac ablation to treat rapid or irregular heartbeats. Using radiofrequency energy (similar to microwave heat), cardiac ablation restores the heart’s regular rhythm by destroying a small area of heart tissue causing the irregularities.

The high-quality cardiovascular care you’ll find at Yuma Regional Medical Center doesn’t stop when you are discharged from the hospital. We offer comprehensive rehabilitation and wellness services to help you return to your normal activities and enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle.

Anticoagulation Clinics
Patients who have been prescribed blood thinners will find convenient, one-stop testing and medication adjustments at one of our two anticoagulation clinics.

Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
To help you return to and enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle, our medically-supervised outpatient Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program is designed to optimize your physical function while stabilizing, slowing or even reversing the progression of underlying causes of your heart condition.

With a referral from your primary care provider or cardiac specialist, you will begin the supervised phase of cardiac rehabilitation for six to 12 weeks. Your sessions, which take place three days a week, will provide:

  • Assessment of your needs
  • Closely supervised exercise sessions, monitored and progressed according to your exercise tolerance
  • Education in the form of eight weekly classes that cover coronary artery disease and how to minimize your risk factors
  • Individualized counseling regarding nutrition, smoking cessation, weight loss, diabetes management, stress reduction and return-to-work issues

We aim to increase your survival outlook, improve your quality of life and safely build your cardiac, pulmonary and vascular fitness. Your cardiac rehab team is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, is directed by a physician and may include a registered nurse, exercise physiologists, a registered dietitian and a respiratory therapist.

Transitional Care Services
This specialized care is designed for patients who have been diagnosed with a condition such as congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pneumonia.

Our cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide timely and exceptional care using a wide range of traditional and minimally-invasive surgical procedures.

When a heart valve becomes narrowed or develops a leak, the surgical team can help you choose the best path to replacing the damaged valve, based on your individual needs. Replacement valves can be mechanical valves, made of durable materials, or tissue valves from human or animal donors.

The aortic valve and mitral valve are the most commonly replaced heart valves. Surgical approaches for repair or replacement include open-heart or minimally-invasive heart surgery. The type of surgery you need depends on various factors, including your age, health status and the type and severity of your heart valve disease.

  • Traditional or Minimally-Invasive Surgery
    Heart valve surgery can be performed using standard open-heart surgery, which involves cutting through your breastbone in your chest. Minimally-invasive heart surgery uses smaller incisions and long instruments inserted in the chest or surgery performed by a surgeon with the assistance of a robot.
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
    TAVR is an innovative procedure that offers a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. This less-invasive heart valve replacement procedure may be appropriate for patients who are at moderate risk, high risk or too sick to undergo traditional surgery. TAVR takes place in our specially-built hybrid operating room that combines the diagnostic functions of a catheterization lab with the surgical functionality of an operating room. Your cardiovascular surgeon inserts a prosthetic valve without removing the damaged valve. Side effects are minimized, and recovery time is reduced. Patients are usually able to go home from the hospital within three days.
  • Valvuloplasty
    In this procedure, the surgeon uses a balloon catheter to widen a narrowed aortic valve.

Your vascular system is made up of the veins and arteries that supply blood to your whole body. Our specialists use state-of-the-art technologies to diagnose and treat a wide variety of blood vessel conditions in order to establish and manage vascular access. We provide you with the personalized care you deserve, from initial diagnosis through treatment and recovery. Conditions we treat include:

  • Aneurysms
  • Blood vessel blockages
  • Carotid disease
  • Mesenteric disease
  • Peripheral artery disease
  • Varicose veins
  • Vascular trauma

Inpatient Services

As an inpatient, you will receive care in our dedicated facilities, including a patient care tower specifically for heart and vascular patients, a cardiac catheterization lab and a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room. Our specialized expertise means you receive highly personalized care that begins even before your hospital stay and continues through your recovery and rehabilitation.