Alicante Cardiovascular Institute (ICA)

The Alicante Cardiovascular Institute at Hospital Clínica Benidorm works closely with the centre’s specialists in Internal Medicine, who, in the Cardiovascular Risk Unit, carry out global control of cardiovascular risk factors (Arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, obesity, smoking, physical, etc.) and, when necessary, derive the patient to the best specialist for their needs.

In order to guarantee more complete diagnoses and obtain better treatments and thereby promoting prevention, the institute places at the patient’s disposal its personalized cardiology check-ups which consist of a preferential circuit of all the necessary check-ups (link to the check-up unit) in the same place and on the same day (whenever necessary this can be done accompanied by an interpreter).

Treatments

• Vascular risk evaluation
• Medical treatment of vascular risk factors
• Out-patient blood-pressure monitoring (OBPM)
• Ankle-brachial index (ABI)
• Special diets
• Personalized exercise plans

• Individualized planning and programming of exercises which is safe and effective for your health, age and physical capacity
• Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, perimeters, body mass ratio)
• Evaluation of body mass (fat % of mass)
• General musculoskeletal evaluation
• Provision of educational resources for recommended modifications to lifestyle

This unit brings together the best technical diagnostic tools for heart disease (angina, heart attack, cardiac insufficiency, etc.) A team of cardiology specialists evaluate you heat function efficiently and without delays.

Treatments

• Ergometrics or stress test
• Holter ECG
• Outpatient monitoring of arterial blood-pressure
• Cardiac Gammagraphy
• Angioplasty and implantation of coronary stents
• Electrophysiological Study and ablation
• Implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators
• Tilt table

Within the ICA it is worth pointing out the “Haemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology Unit at Hospital Clínica Benidorm”, with its many years of experience and great prestige at national level due to its pioneering procedures and its team of professionals.

Of special mention is its “24 hours, 365 days a year” cover for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, and for patients with angina or any type of heart attack. Furthermore, 90% of the procedures are carried via radial artery access, so avoiding complications and speeding up the patient’s recovery.

Pioneers in TAVI techniques

The TAVI technique makes it possible to implant an aortic valve via the femoral artery and so avoid open surgery. It is recommended for patients with severe aortic stenosis who cannot be considered for conventional surgery due to the high surgical risk, and so it makes an efficient solution possible for patients with a pathology which only a few years ago had no possible solution.

These days this procedure can only be carried out in centres which meet the specific requirements demanded by the European Cardiology Society.

Treatments

• Diagnostic catheterization        
• TAVI Implantation
• Coronary angioplasty
• Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiogram
• Contrast echocardiogram
• Stress echocardiogram
• Coronary angio TC
• Renal denervation for hypertension

Cerebrovascular disease has a great impact on today’s society, not only due to its frequency but also because of its consequences (dementia, thrombosis, cerebral haemorrhage) and therefore this unit aims to prevent and treat the pathology.

Neuroradiologists play a fundamental role in avoiding open surgery for the treatment of cerebrovascular disease.

Complete this information with HCB Stroke Centre

Treatments

• Evaluation of neurovascular risk and treatment of neurovascular disease: Vascular dementia and stroke
• Extracranial and transcranial EchoDoppler
• Cerebral angiogram
• Angioplasty and stent implantation
• Embolization of intracranial aneurisms
• Tilt table

On the other hand, cardiac surgery is one of the most complex and necessary specialties in Medicine and for this reason the ICA has a team of experienced surgeons who carry out more than 400 operations a year both in public and private hospitals.

The carry out open heart surgery and also treatments using minimally invasive techniques such as endoprostheses and stents, which help to reduce the patient’s recovery time.

Treatments

• Coronary revascularization surgery with and without heart-lung machine
• Mitral valve reconstruction surgery
• Valve replacement
• Arteriograms
• Aortic prostheses and endoprostheses
• Angioplasty and implantation of vascular stents
• Arterial revascularization surgery

The Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit in the Cardiovascular Institute at Hospital Clínica de Benidorm aims to offer patients suffering arrhythmia their diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for resolving and controlling their illnesses with the highest level of excellence.

This will be carried out basically by concentrating on the human dimension of the patient, placing this as the central axis of what we do. This special emphasis is very important since the other aspect upon which we base our actions, the massive use of cutting-edge technology, can result in losing the perspective that this is a medical act, where the patients, their discomfort, fears and hopes should be our primary preoccupation.

The Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit works in close collaboration and communication with the Clinical Cardiologist responsible for the patient so that we can integrate our work with all the cardiology and medical aspects of the patient.

Arrhythmia specialists in the Valencia Community

The Alicante Cardiovascular Institute at HCB also stands out because it specializes in arrhythmias in its Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit. This service diagnoses arrhythmias using catheters and treats them using ablation or by the implantation of devices by one of the most prestigious specialists in the country.

The extremely specialized work of the unit is making it the private reference centre for arrhythmias in the Valencia Community.

Treatments 

• Arrhythmia consultations for patients referred by the Clinical Cardiologist and monitoring of implanted devices
• Diagnostic electrophysiological studies
• Ablation of simple cardiac arrhythmias and auricular defibrillation
• Internal and external Cardioversions
• Implantation of unicameral and bicameral pacemakers
• Implantation of unicameral and bicameral defibrillators
• Implantation of re-synchronization devices
• Implantation of sub-cutaneous cardiac event monitors
• Electrode extraction

Since a short time ago we have available a molecular biology technique which can clearly show, by way of a study of the DNA in blood cells, the genetic risk of developing arteriosclerosis. An analysis is carried out of anomalous DNA variants. The more anomalous DNA variants a person has the greater the risk of suffering arteriosclerosis or having a heart attack, a stroke or that they will suffer deterioration of the kidneys or the circulation in the legs

The result of each examination will be explained by the cardiologist so that the patient fully understands the risk of suffering from heart disease. All the information, including the advice, will handed over in a medical report.

The Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, due to their extensive area of activity in the circulatory system, have a fundamental role in the Cardiovascular Institute of Alicante of the Hospital Clínica Benidorm, and work within the following areas of treatment:

• Aortic Prosthesis and Endoprosthesis
• Aortic Homograft
• Angioplasty and implantation of vascular stents
• Arterial revascularization surgery