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Cardiovascular Medicine

Medical treatment schedule / doctor in charge

All medical staff always try to provide patient-centered, high-quality cardiovascular care.

Medical treatment contents

Introduction of medical office

The standard number of beds in our department at our hospital is 45 beds, including 5 beds in the coronary care unit (CCU). In addition to coronary artery disease, we are in charge of all other cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease. For outpatients and inpatients, we first provide our stance based on non-invasive evaluation and diagnosis with an emphasis on interviews and physical findings. However, when further examinations are required for medical treatment, we will make full use of invasive medical treatment, surely collect more information, evaluate the pathological condition of each patient, and devote ourselves to stick to optimal medical treatment available for each patient.
In addition, taking advantage as a university hospital, we are aiming for collaborative medical care by making cooperation with other departments (especially cardiovascular surgery and pediatrics) flexible. We have weekly heart team conference with cardiovascular surgeons to discuss various treatment options for patients.

Diseases / treatment options to be performed in our department:

Cardiovascular examination that can be performed at our hospital
  • ECG, Holter ECG monitoring, averaging ECG, treadmill (exercise stress ECG).
  • Echocardiography (transthoracic and transesophageal).
  • Cardiac catheterization, including complex coronary interventions.
  • Electrophysiological study and ablation.
  • Perfusion myocardial scintigram.
  • Cardiac and coronary CT (MDCT).
  • Cardiac MRI.

Main treatments performed in our department

Coronary artery disease (myocardial infarction, angina)

Examination / Treatment Procedures

Perfusion myocardial scintigraphy, coronary CT (MDCT), cardiac MRI, coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, stent implantation, rotablator, orbital atherectomy (OA), and directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) etc.

Contents

The vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle are called coronary arteries. If these coronary arteries become narrowed or blocked due to arteriosclerosis, etc., sufficient oxygen and nutrients will not be distributed to the heart muscle. This condition is called ischemia, and transient ischemia results in angina, and rapid complete occlusion results in acute myocardial infarction. In our department, we perform screening tests with scintigraphy and CT examinations, which are less invasive to the body, and if necessary, hospitalization for catheterization and treatment is performed. Of course, we are prepared to respond immediately in case of emergency such as acute myocardial infarction on 24/7 basis.

Arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia)

Examination / Treatment Procedures

Pacemaker implantation, implantable defibrillator implantation, biventricular pacemaker implantation, electrophysiological examination, catheter ablation (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia)

Contents

We have set up a specialized day for examination and treatment for arrhythmia, and we are devoted to provide intensive treatment on that day and to shorten the waiting period until diagnosis and treatment (in case of emergency).

Valvular heart disease

Examination / Treatment Procedures

Echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, percutaneous trans-mitral commissurotomy (PTMC), transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)

The contents

Although was previously accounted a number of rheumatic valvular heart disease, in recent years it has been increasing degenerative atherosclerotic aortic valve stenosis (due to aging). Cardiac valvular disease can be diagnosed to a large extent by echocardiography. When treatment such as surgery is required, patient will be hospitalized for catheterization and then will be referred to cardiovascular surgery.
In addition, if indicated, we perform transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) jointly with cardiovascular surgery and anesthesiology. In addition, mitral valve stenosis is treated with a catheter in an indicated case (percutaneous trans-mitral commissurotomy (PTMC)).

others

We also provide biventricular pacing for severe heart failure, percutaneous septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and angiography and intervention (including stent implantation for limb artery disease EVT (such as obstructive arteriosclerosis).

Specialized field

Hypertension, angina, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, valvular disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, aneurysm, vasculitis, pacemaker, arteriosclerosis obliterans, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, adult congenital heart disease, aortic dissection.

Related Links

Wakayama Medical University Internal Medicine Course 4 Cardiology

* This page is the responsibility of the clinical department.

Staff introduction

Position Full name Specialized field Academic society certification
Professor Atsushi Tanaka Ischemic heart disease Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society
Specialist
Associate professor Hironori
Kitabata
Ischemic heart disease Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Cardiomyopathy Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
  Specialist
  Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics
Part-time lecturer Kazushi Tsuda Cardiomyopathy Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
hypertension Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society
  Specialist
  Japanese Society of Hypertension Specialist
Associate professor Kazushi Takemoto Echocardiography Japanese Society of Ultrasound Medicine (JSUM) Registered Medical Sonographer
Associate professor Takashi Tanimoto Heart failure Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Adult congenital heart disease Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
  Specialist
  Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics
Associate professor Takashi Yamano Pulmonary hypertension Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Heart failure Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
  Specialist Board Certified Physician for Public Health and Social Medicine
Associate professor Akio Kuroi arrhythmia Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation
SocietyBoard Certified Member of the Japanese Heart Rhythm Society
Associate professor Yasutsugu Shiono Ischemic heart disease Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
Specialist
Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics
Assistant professor Manabu Kashiwagi arrhythmia Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
Specialist
Assistant professor Keisuke Satogami Ischemic heart disease Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
Specialist
Assistant professor Yuichi ozaki Ischemic heart disease
arrhythmia
Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
Specialist
Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics
Assistant professor Shingo Ota Cardiomyopathy Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
Specialist
Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics
Assistant professor Teruaki Wada Ischemic heart disease Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Valvular disease Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
  Specialist
  Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics
Assistant professor Suwako Fujita Echocardiography Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Valvular heart disease Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
  Specialist
  Board Certified Fellow of the Japan Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine
Assistant professor Masahiro Takahata Coronary artery disease Board Certified Member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine?
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
Specialist
Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics
Assistant professor Akira Taruya Coronary artery disease Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board Certified Member of the Japanese Circulation Society?
Specialist
Fellow of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics

Research studies

In accordance with the basic policy of being a clinical classroom (course), our department aims to conduct research that is directly linked to clinical practice and can be greatly benefit to the patients. Currently, for coronary artery disease, the coronary intervention group is in charge of examining coronary artery hemodynamics using pressure wire and Doppler wire, and examination of coronary artery lesions using new methods such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and virtual histology (NIRS-IVUS). The Echo Group is in charge of examining each disease by echocardiography using advanced technologies such as 3D echo, tissue Doppler method, and strain method. In addition, we are actively incorporating CT and cardiovascular MRI examinations, which have been remarkably developed in recent years, into medical care and research. The special feature of this department is that each medical staff does not belong to one group (research), but is devised so that they can flexibly share common knowledge and experience in all fields.

Education

nitial training: Education for residents first focuses on education as a general doctor and basic education on all medical illnesses. Our department, which is in charge of the cardiovascular field, starts with basic skills such as the auscultation and palpation methods that are necessary when aiming to become a doctor in any department, and the reliable identification of abnormal ECG from screening ECG.
We provide guidance in a planned manner. In our department, an average of 5 to 6 trainees are constantly training, and the instructor (10th to 15th years after graduation) provides comprehensive guidance, and an in-hospital assistant professor (3-8 years) who mainly works in the ward, gives specific guidance, and the group makes a treatment plan for each case and puts it into practice so that they can gain experience.