Heart Attack Signs, Treatment and Recovery in San Antonio

When you are experiencing a cardiac emergency, it is important to have access to experts who can deliver the care you need, fast. Methodist Healthcare has several facilities that are Accredited Chest Pain Centers, meaning our teams can stop a heart attack within 90 minutes, a standard set by the American Heart Association.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a heart attack, call 911 immediately.

Using a variety of methods, our teams can open the blocked artery, restore blood flow to the heart and help you recover. You can receive this award-winning cardiac care at the following Methodist Healthcare locations:

In addition, Methodist Hospital, Methodist Hospital Metropolitan and Methodist Hospital Northeast are recipients of the Lifeline® Bronze Receiving Center Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for their outstanding care of patients with severe heart attacks.

Signs of a heart attack

Sometimes, heart attack warning signs can be missed because they may be minor or explained away. However, it is important to seek emergency care if you experience:

  • Chest pain or discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes
  • Pain or discomfort in your arm, back, neck or jaw
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Lightheadedness

Advanced heart attack treatment

Methodist Healthcare is proud to offer the Impella® device for heart attack patients. Specifically, the Impella® device is a catheter-based heart pump that pulls blood from the left ventricle through an inlet area near the tip of the device and expels blood from the catheter into the ascending aorta.

As a minimally invasive procedure, the Impella® device moves 2.5 liters of blood per minute, assisting the left ventricle during procedures involving temporary coronary blockages that would otherwise be too taxing on the already weak heart.

The pump can be inserted via a standard catheterization procedure (in the cardiac catheterization lab) through the femoral artery in the leg, into the ascending aorta, across the valve and into the left ventricle.

Heart attack recovery and rehabilitation

We offer cardiac rehabilitation for patients who are recovering from a heart attack. Patients receive individualized care that includes diagnostic testing, education and exercise. For more information about our cardiac rehab services, please call Methodist Heart and Lung Institute Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center at (210) 575-8235.