The heart is an intricate web of blood vessels and electrical circuits, comprised of four chambers (the two upper chambers are the right and left atrium and the two lower chambers are left and right ventricle) that are linked by valves that act as doorways. The heart chambers, blood vessels, and electrical pathways work together to ensure the heart pumps an adequate amount of oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body and carries away waste products. Trouble in any part of any of the heart’s components can disrupt the entire system and lead to problems elsewhere.
The anatomy of the heart

Because of medical and surgical advances, a growing number of adults
are living with congenital heart disease. According to the American Heart
Association (AHA), about 1 million Americans are living with a congenital
heart defect. Approximately 35,000 infants are born with a defect each year, making congenital heart disease the most common of all birth defects.

Atrial Fibrillation  |  Pediatric Congenital Heart Defects  |  Heart Disease  |  Heart Transplant  |  Videos  |  More Health Information

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, affecting the heart with approximately 5 million Americans suffering from this disorder. On average, there are 160, 000 new cases of Afib per year. Afib is a disorder that involves the upper two chambers of the heart where they no longer beat in a normal, synchronized fashion. Rather, electrical impulses move about both atria in a chaotic, or circus-movement pattern, resulting in activation of the atria at somewhere between 400 and 600 times per minute. The impulses coursing through the atria traverse through a structure called the A-V node to reach the ventricles. The hallmark of Afib is an irregularly irregular rhythm where the ventricles, or bottom pumping chambers of the heart, beat in a very chaotic fashion.

Although not life threatening, Atrial Fibrillation can lead to stroke or heart muscle damage. If you have AF, you are five times more likely than the general population to have a stroke.

Treatment for atrial fibrillation locations
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center | Berkeley/Oakland
California Pacific Medical Center | San Francisco
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento | Sacramento
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Pediatric Congenital Heart Defects

Having a congenital heart defect can increase the risk of developing complications such as heart failure, endocarditis, atrial fibrillation and heart valve problems. Depending on the defect and its severity, surgery may be necessary. Surgical treatment of a congenital heart defect varies, depending on the specific diagnosis.

Common surgical procedures include:

• Repair of holes in the heartRelief of obstruction to blood flow
• Fixing abnormal heart valves
• Palliating those with a single pumping chamber
• Redirecting blood flow within the heart
• Correcting irregular heart rhythms
• Repairing abnormalities of the aorta
• A combination of the above conditions

Pediatric cardiac surgeons can diagnose and repair congenital heart defects. Services include interventional heart catheterization, surgery and follow-up care for babies and children.

California Pacific Medical Center
3700 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-600-6000

Children's Center at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
5151 F Street
Sacramento, CA 95819
916-733-1025


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Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men in the United States. Every year, thousands of Americans die from heart attacks and millions of others suffer from related cardiovascular diseases.

The most common heart disease is coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease (CAD) refers to conditions that cause narrowing of the coronary arteries resulting in a reduction of blood flow to the heart - often resulting in chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, or heart attack. Other types of heart disease include cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and stroke.
Cardiac services locations
www.hearts.sutterhealth.org | Visit our Web site dedicated to taking care of your heart

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Heart Transplant

Heart transplant surgery is the replacement of a patient's diseased heart with a donor heart after all other treatments have failed. Approximately 2,300 heart transplants are performed each year in the United States. Transplantation is considered when the heart is failing and does not respond to other therapies, but health is otherwise good.

Heart transplant service locations
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento | Sacramento
5151 F Street
Sacramento, CA 95819-3295
(916) 733-8133
(800) 556-8133
(916) 733-1967 | Fax

California Pacific Medical Center
2340 Clay Street, 1st Floor
San Francisco, California 94115
(415) 600-1050
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Videos

• Atrial fibrillation (video)
• Heart valve disease (video)
• Myths about heart disease (video)
• View more videos on heart health

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More Health Information

Health Library | Heart and Circulation
Health Library | Heart Problems

Health Library | Exercise for a healthy heart
Health Library | Atrial Fibrillation
Health Library | Congenital Heart Defects
Health Library | Heart Valve Defects
Health Library | Heart Disease

www.hearts.sutterhealth.org | Visit our Web site dedicated to taking care of your heart




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