Heart Failure

If heart failure is affecting your quality of life, it’s time to get help. At Cleveland Clinic London, an elite team of internationally recognised cardiologists offers complete care for every stage of heart failure. We’re here to reduce your risk of hospitalisation, help you manage symptoms and provide the treatments you need to live a longer, better life.

Our Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute offers:

• Team approach: Consultants across multiple disciplines work together to plan your care. You receive the coordinated input of experts in cardiology, heart surgery, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and heart imaging.
• One-stop clinic: Our one-stop heart failure clinic conveniently provides all the services you need under one roof. In many cases, we can offer consultations with specialists, advanced diagnostic testing and preliminary treatment in a single visit.
• Innovative treatments: We offer a range of laparoscopic (keyhole) interventions for heart failure caused by coronary and valve diseases. These minimally invasive treatments carry fewer risks than open-heart surgery. You recover faster and with less pain.
• Extensive experience: Our heart failure specialists continually conduct research and participate in clinical trials to bring you newer, better ways to manage heart failure. They also specialise in the most complex forms of the disease, such as advanced heart failure and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Even if you’ve been told elsewhere that you’re out of treatment options, we can help.
• Comprehensive care: In addition to medical management and surgery, we offer the support and guidance you need to make healthy lifestyle changes. Your care team provides sleep, diet and exercise recommendations, as well as treatments to manage other chronic health conditions.
• World-class hospital: Our heart failure program is backed by the resources and capabilities of one of the U.K.’s newest and most advanced private hospitals. An acute admissions unit and a 24/7 intensive care unit mean we’re always here to manage any critical situation.

What Is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a long-term condition where your heart can’t pump blood effectively. It can occur if your heart is weak, damaged or can’t fill up with blood as it should. High blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart rhythm disorders, and heart muscle or valve diseases are a few potential causes of heart failure.

Common symptoms of heart failure may include:

• Fatigue.
• Irregular heartbeat.
• Persistent cough.
• Shortness of breath.
• Swelling of the legs and abdomen.
• Weakness.

An accurate diagnosis is essential for effective heart failure treatment. Different types of heart failure can overlap, so your treatment depends on identifying the underlying cause. Our experts use advanced testing to monitor people with previously diagnosed heart failure. We also evaluate undiagnosed symptoms so you can get the answers and treatments you need.

We use ejection fraction to measure how much blood your heart pumps out with each heartbeat. If you have:

• Reduced ejection fraction (systolic heart failure), your heart doesn’t send enough blood to your body.
• Preserved ejection fraction (diastolic heart failure), your heart pumps enough blood, but the bottom chambers of your heart are stiff and don’t fill with blood as they should.

We usually use echocardiography to measure ejection fraction. Other non-invasive heart imaging and tests we use to diagnose heart failure include:

• Blood tests (including cardiomyopathy screen).
• Cardiac MRI and CT coronary angiography.
• ECG and Holter monitor.
• Six-minute walking test.

We may also use minimally invasive diagnostic tests, such as cardiac catheterisation or a cardiac biopsy, to gather more information about how well your heart is working.

Our Heart Failure Treatments

Medical therapy is the cornerstone of heart therapy treatment. Medications help lower blood pressure and protect your heart. While you’re on the medication, we closely monitor your kidney function, blood pressure and heart rate. Heart failure medications we offer:

• Beta blockers.
• ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme).
• MRA receptor antagonist.
• SGLT2 reception inhibitor.

Other heart failure treatments include:

• Device therapy: You may be a candidate for an implantable cardiac device, such as a biventricular pacemaker (cardiac resynchronisation therapy) or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). These devices help regulate your heart rhythm.
• Surgical or keyhole interventions: Open or minimally invasive procedures can treat coronary artery or valve disease. Learn more about heart surgery and interventional cardiology.
• Heart transplant and ventricular assist device (LVAD and RVAD): We work closely with two leading NHS transplant centres and have in-house access to many forms of circulatory support, including ECMO.
• Cardiac rehabilitation: This medically supervised programme supports exercise, healthy lifestyle modifications and education.

Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Self-Pay Services

Whether you need a cardiac MRI scan, or want to know the cost of interventional cardiology, sports cardiology, surgical procedures or other services, we can help. Cleveland Clinic London has the most innovative tests and treatments available for self-pay, so you’re prepared for whatever turn your health takes. Find out more.

Learn More

Contact us or call +44 20 3423 7500 for more information including booking an appointment.

For specific information about our heart, vascular or thoracic services, email [email protected].