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Why choose Geisinger for heart failure treatment?

Despite its name, heart failure doesn’t mean your heart has given up. The right team can help it get back to doing its job.

Once your primary care provider (PCP) sends a referral, your heart team builds a plan centered on your needs, condition and lifestyle. Cardiologists, surgeons and other specialists with years of training work together to keep your treatment on track.

Our surgeons have all passed an optional national exam that proves their medical expertise, and many hold added certification in specific types of cardiac surgery. They routinely perform complex procedures that aren’t widely available in central and northeastern Pennsylvania.

Your treatment is unique to you, but our goal stays the same: helping you live better for longer.

Treatments and services we offer

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FAQs

What’s heart failure?

When your heart doesn't pump or fill as well as it should, it has to work harder to supply enough blood to your body. There are a few types:

  • Right-sided heart failure (sometimes called cor pulmonale) affects the right ventricle's ability to pump.
  • Left-sided heart failure affects the heart's main pumping chamber and falls into 2 subcategories. There’s heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), where the heart doesn't fill properly despite a normal EF of 50–65%, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), where the heart doesn't pump efficiently and the EF drops below 50%.

What’s congestive heart failure?

When you have congestive heart failure, your heart can't pump as well as it should, which causes fluid to build up — or congest — in the lungs, legs and other parts of the body. This fluid buildup is what causes many of the most recognizable symptoms, like swelling in the legs and feet and shortness of breath.

What’s the difference between congestive heart failure and heart failure?

Congestive heart failure and heart failure are often used interchangeably, but there’s a distinction. While all congestive heart failure is heart failure, not all heart failure is congestive. Many doctors use “heart failure” as the umbrella term for both.

What are common symptoms of congestive heart failure?

The most common heart failure symptoms include:

  • Shortness of breath, especially when lying flat
  • Extreme fatigue or tiredness
  • Swelling, also known as edema, in your legs and feet
  • Persistent cough or wheezing
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Sudden weight gain
  • Confusion

Just because you have some of these symptoms doesn’t mean you have heart failure. If you’re having symptoms, talk to your doctor to rule out other health issues.

What are risk factors for developing heart failure?

High blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight all increase your risk. So does a family history of early heart disease, which is before 55 in men and before 65 in women.

Other risk factors include smoking, sleep apnea, certain cancer treatments, and statistically, being male or African American.

How do cardiologists diagnose heart failure?

Diagnosing heart failure usually involves a combination of tests: an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to record your heart's electrical activity and blood tests to rule out thyroid, liver or kidney issues. Your doctor may also order a chest X-ray to check for fluid buildup.

Your doctor may also use an echocardiogram to create video of your heart in motion or a stress test to monitor how your heart responds during exercise.

What are common treatments for heart failure?

Depending on the type and severity of your heart failure, your doctor may recommend one or more treatments.

These can include lifestyle changes, medications, implanting a defibrillator to regulate an irregular heartbeat or surgery to correct an artery or valve in your heart. In advanced cases, you may need a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplant.

If you need a transplant, we’ll help coordinate your care at one of our collaborating transplant facilities.

Heart failure care at Geisinger

Here, your heart team blends exceptional care with the most advanced heart failure treatments available. We offer:

  • Expert, personalized care: Your team of surgeons, cardiologists and other specialists develop a treatment plan centered on your needs — whether that's medication, surgery or something in between.
  • Comprehensive care where you live: Backed by the expertise of a nationally recognized health system, our team offers treatment at locations in central and northeastern Pennsylvania.
  • Women’s heart health specialists: Our specialists bring dedicated expertise and research to heart conditions that affect women differently.
  • Genetic testing and counseling: Through programs like the MyCode® Community Health Initiative, you can contribute to research and manage your genetic risk for a variety of conditions.