Tampa General Medical Group’s advanced heart failure team consists of cardiologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and research nurses who collaborate with licensed social workers, psychiatrists and nutritionists at Tampa General Hospital to make up one of the most skilled and experienced heart failure teams in the country.
TGMG offers comprehensive, quality care for patients suffering from advanced heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure. Our cardiologists and other staff work together to diagnose all forms of congestive heart failure. Treatments for heart failure include medication therapies, surgical procedures and/or the use of medical devices. Treatment plans are determined on an individual basis. TGMG physicians manage patients’ medication therapies, perform non-invasive procedures and make referrals for surgery if needed.
Tampa General Medical Group physicians practice exclusively at Tampa General Hospital (TGH): locally and nationally respected as a forerunner in medical and surgical techniques and a regional referral center for the most difficult advanced heart failure cases. TGMG and TGH staff work closely with referring physicians to keep them abreast of each patient’s treatment and progress.
TGMG cardiologists participate in heart failure research including strategies for individualizing therapy, and have been instrumental in the creation of current hospital guidelines for the care of advanced heart disease.
What is heart failure?
Heart failure is the condition resulting from the heart's inability to pump an adequate amount of blood through the body. Heart failure may be sudden, but may also develop slowly and gradually over many years. But in either case, the condition causes the heart to lose its ability to work and pump blood efficiently. The result is that the body doesn't get as much oxygen and nutrients as it needs, leading to problems such as fatigue, loss of appetite and kidney failure. Blood may back up behind the heart, leading to increased pressure or fluid in the lungs, causing shortness of breath. The body may also hold on to fluid. Heart failure is usually a chronic, long-term condition that is managed with medications and lifestyle changes.
Systolic heart failure occurs when the heart is not contracting properly. When this happens, the heart can't pump with enough force to push enough blood into circulation. As a result, blood coming into the heart from the lungs can back up, causing fluid to leak into the lungs.
Systolic heart failure is the most common form of heart failure, and the one physicians can treat and understand the best.
Heart Failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) occurs when the heart is not relaxing properly. Very often, it's associated with high blood pressure and thickening of the heart muscle. This form of heart failure may lead to fluid accumulation, especially in the feet, ankles, and legs. Some patients experience lung congestion. Although doctors can treat blood pressure and fluid volume, there are not as many treatment options for this type of heart failure.