Methodist Hospital Texsan excels in advanced cardiovascular services and has earned national recognition for its outstanding cardiovascular care. Our hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art heart catheterization labs, dedicated operating room suites and the latest technology to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions. Texsan was the first hospital in South Texas to be named a National Distinction of Excellence HeartCARE Center and the first hospital in San Antonio to earn The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for Chest Pain. In 2019, Texsan received the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award.

Cardiovascular conditions we treat

Methodist Hospital Texsan offers a full spectrum of cardiovascular services to diagnose and treat the following conditions:

  • Aortic aneurysm
  • Heart arrhythmia
  • Heart disease
  • Heart failure
  • Lung disease and cancer
  • Peripheral artery disease
  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Pulmonary disease
  • Valve disease
  • Vascular disease

Cardiovascular services we offer

We are proud to offer innovative and advanced cardiovascular treatments, including:

  • Advanced technology and research programs
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Cardiac imaging
  • Cardiac rehabilitation (inpatient)
  • Cardiac surgery
  • Cardiothoracic surgery
  • Diagnostic peripheral vascular
  • Diagnostic procedures
  • Electrophysiology
  • Interventional cardiac care
  • Peripheral vascular intervention
  • Patent foramen ovale/atrial septal defect closure devices
  • Preventative cardiology
  • Pulmonary medicine
  • Structural heart procedures, including implants to reduce stroke risk
  • Thoracic endovascular aortic repair/endovascular aneurysm repair
  • Thoracic surgery
  • Vascular screening
  • Vascular surgery

Cardiac imaging

Our Cardiac Imaging Center offers cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scans and interventional cardiology for complex procedures. Our inpatient and outpatient heart care specialists and cardiologists strive to provide comfortable, expert care to prevent, diagnose and treat a range of heart-related conditions.

Our catheterization lab procedures include

  • Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—Procedures to open up coronary arteries that have narrowed as a result of plaque buildup, which can cause heart attacks
  • Atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) closures—Minimally invasive alternative to surgery to close holes found in the heart's atria (upper chambers), which could have developed in the womb or failed to close after birth
  • Impella placement—A temporary heart pump for patients receiving PCI for severe coronary artery disease
  • Intra–aortic balloon pump (IABP) placement—An inflatable device that helps pump blood throughout your body
  • Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) management—A number of treatment options to address blood flow issues in arteries and veins

Vascular screening

Methodist Hospital Texsan is proud to offer vascular screening services for our community. In one simple and quick appointment, you can find out whether you are at risk of some of the most common types of vascular disease, including carotid artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheral arterial disease.

What is a vascular screening?

A vascular screening uses ultrasound imaging to take a look at how well blood is flowing through your blood vessels. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image – it’s painless, fast, and uses no radiation. During the vascular screening, you’ll also have your blood pressure taken in both arms and both legs, to see how well blood is flowing in your limbs. The whole test takes just 15 to 20 minutes from the time you check in. You don’t even need to change out of your clothes.

There are three steps to a vascular screening:

  • An ultrasound of your neck to check the blood flow in your carotid arteries
  • An ultrasound of your belly to check your aorta, the biggest blood vessel in your body
  • An ankle-brachial index, which compares the blood pressure in your ankles to the blood pressure in your arm

Why should I get a vascular screening?

Cardiovascular disease affects almost half of all adults in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association. While you may know about the risk of heart disease, vascular disease, which can affect blood vessels throughout the body, can be just as dangerous. The vascular screening checks for signs of three major types of vascular disease:

  • Carotid artery disease — Reduced blood flow in your neck, which may lead to a stroke
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm — A balloon-like bulge in your body’s largest blood vessel, which could burst
  • Peripheral arterial disease, also called PAD — This condition can make it hard for your body to pump blood to your legs and feet, raising the risk of damage or amputation

Getting a vascular screening can help you find out if you’re at risk for any of these conditions. This information can help you get treatment, if you need to. Knowing your risk can also help you learn what changes you should make to your lifestyle to reduce your risk of developing vascular disease in the future.

How often should I get a vascular screening?

We recommend adults get a vascular screening every year. To sign up, you can talk to your primary care doctor or you can call our office directly at (210) 736-8200 to schedule an appointment.

What happens during the appointment?

The vascular screening appointment is simple:

  1. You check in at the front desk, just inside the hospital’s front entrance.
  2. When it’s your turn, a member of our team will escort you to the screening room.
  3. You’ll sit on an exam table, and our technician will gently press a small wand called a transducer onto each side of your neck to check how well blood is flowing through your carotid arteries.
  4. Then you’ll lift your shirt slightly, and the technician will gently press on your belly with the transducer to check your aorta.
  5. Next, you’ll get a blood pressure cuff on both arms and both ankles, which will check your blood pressure in all four limbs.
  6. Finally, you’ll receive a written statement of your results and what your recommended next steps are. If everything looks good, you can come back in a year. If the screening shows a possible problem, you’ll get recommendations on what to do about it.

The whole process only takes 15 or 20 minutes.

What happens if the screening shows a problem?

If the screening results are abnormal, we’ll have you come back for further testing, so we can diagnose the specific problem. You can also follow up with your primary care doctor or have further tests done at another vascular clinic, if you’d prefer.

In very rare cases, a vascular screening might show a serious problem. In that case, we will talk over your options with you and may refer you for emergency care, if necessary.

What is not included in the vascular screening?

The screening is a simple test and does not show all of the detail that a full diagnostic workup would show. If the test results are abnormal, you’ll need to follow up with your doctor or our office to have more detailed diagnostic tests done. Those diagnostic tests would form the basis of a treatment plan, if necessary.

Where can I find more information about vascular disease?

To learn more about the vascular disease and the services we offer, please call the Methodist Healthcare HealthLine at (210) 575-0355.

How can I schedule an appointment for a vascular screening?

Call (210) 736-8200 to schedule your vascular screening appointment.

Our electrophysiology lab services

An electrophysiology lab is where physicians conduct various tests, sometimes called studies, for heart arrhythmias. We offer the following EP services:

  • Pacemaker implantation—Device inserted under the skin on the chest to regulate heart beats by sending out electrical pulses
  • Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)—Battery-powered device inserted under the skin on the chest to correct more complicated arrhythmias
  • Cardiac ablations—The process of scarring the heart to eliminate faulty electrical pulses causing irregular heartbeats
  • EP studies—Insertion of a small rod to record the heart's electrical signals for further examination and diagnosis
  • Left atrial appendage occlusion—Closure of the left atrial appendage, a small pouch in the heart, which is affected by irregular heartbeats and can release blood clots into the arteries, increasing the risk of a stroke

24/7 emergency cardiac care at The Center for Advanced Cardiac Care

Methodist Hospital Texsan has a dedicated cardiovascular emergency department, The Center for Advanced Cardiac Care, equipped with state of the art technology and staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cardiology at Methodist Healthcare

Cardiology is the medical treatment of the heart and parts of the circulatory system as they relate to the heart. Cardiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions related to the cardiovascular system.

Learn about Cardiology