Heart & Vascular Center

A simple heart screening can help you keep your heart healthy

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the #1 cause of death for both men and women. But there’s good news: it can be treated if caught early. And one of the best and easiest preventive tests for your heart is a heart screening.

Schedule an appointment with a BSA Health System primary care physician

806-212-6353

- or -

Already have a referral from your provider? Schedule your $99 heart scan

806-212-8888

There are different heart screenings designed to detect potential heart issues before they occur. One of the most common is the calcium score, a specialized X-ray that provides pictures of your heart to help detect and measure plaque buildup lining the walls of your coronary arteries.

Plaque buildup narrows the arteries, restricts blood flow to the heart and ultimately can lead to a heart attack if left unchecked. By detecting plaque buildup early, your doctor can provide a treatment plan to help you reduce your chances of a heart attack or stroke.

If you are 40 years or older and are at an increased risk for heart disease, you should consider a heart screening. You are at an increased risk if you:

  • Are diabetic
  • Have a family history of heart disease
  • Are a past or present smoker
  • Have a history of high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure
  • Are overweight or lead an inactive lifestyle

We can help you manage your heart health by starting with a heart scan to detect potential issues before they happen. Plus, a heart scan can motivate you to make important lifestyle changes and follow treatment plans for a lifetime of good heart health.

A calcium score heart scan is a simple test that takes around 10-15 minutes. A technician will attach sensors, called electrodes, to your chest before the scan. These sensors connect to a device that records your heart activity and helps take X-ray pictures between heartbeats when the heart muscles are relaxed.

During the heart scan, you will lie on your back on a table that slides into a CT scanner. Your head is outside the scanner the whole time. You will lie still and hold your breath for a few seconds while the pictures are taken. After the procedure, you can drive yourself home and resume your normal activities.

As the only hospital in the region offering calcium scoring, the BSA Heart & Vascular Center provides comprehensive services for all stages of heart care, from diagnosis to recovery. Our team of heart care experts is here to help you achieve optimal heart health.

Our new state-of-the-art hybrid operating room offers new technologies and procedures for surgical patients in the Texas Panhandle and the surrounding region, allowing you and your family to remain close to home for expert heart care, including treatment for vascular disease, congenital heart disease, cardiac valve disease and heart rhythm defects.

We also offer procedures such as carotid artery revascularization (TCAR), transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and stent graft placement. Our new hybrid OR allows for both endovascular and open surgery within the same space, reducing the risk of performing two procedures.

Get peace of mind for only $99

Call 806-212-6353 to schedule an appointment with a BSA Health System primary care physician today, and ask about getting a $99 heart scan so you can live life, better.

If you already have a referral from your provider, please call 806-212-8888 to schedule your $99 heart scan.

Services

Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring

BSA offers $99 coronary artery calcium scoring, a test which will detect calcium deposits in the arteries.

Knowing your artery calcium score can help you detect potential heart issues before they occur. The test is quick and painless. A physician referral is required. To schedule an appointment, please call 806-212-8888. 

Cath Lab

For patients experiencing a heart event, the BSA Cardiac Catheterization Lab provides life-saving services, including:

  • Removal of blood clots from the arteries and veins
  • Surgical repair and removal of plaque from blood vessels
  • Stent placement

Electrophysiology Lab

For patients who have issues with their heart's electrical signals, BSA's Electrophysiology Lab provides the following services:

  • Diagnostic studies of the heart's electrical aspects
  • Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) implants
  • Pacemaker placement

Cardiothoracic Surgery

BSA Cardiothoracic Surgery offers expert surgical care for patients needing treatment for issues of the heart, lungs and other organs of the chest. Treatments include:

  • Improvement of blood flow to the heart through coronary artery bypass graft surgery
  • Opening the chest wall to operate on damaged lungs
  • Removal of damaged or diseased sections of the lungs
  • Replacement of damaged heart valves with prosthetic valves 
  • Surgery to repair bulges in the aorta, commonly known as aneurysms
  • Surgery to repair holes in the wall of the heart
  • Video-assisted procedures that provide a minimally-invasive approach to surgery, with less pain and a shorter recovery time 

Cardiac Rehab

During recovery after a heart event, patients can attend the BSA Cardiac Rehab Program, a 12-week long program that includes exercise, education and support.

Patient benefits of the program include:

  • Improving overall confidence and well-being
  • Improving stamina and strength to get back to a daily routine
  • Reducing the physical and emotional effects of heart disease
  • Stopping or reversing damage to the heart’s blood vessels

TAVR

Amarillo’s Most Advanced Heart Valve Procedure is Available at BSA 

BSA is proud to be the only facility in the Texas Panhandle to offer Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacements (TAVR) to patients. It is a safe and effective solution for patients suffering from aortic stenosis. More than 2.5 million people, ages 75 and older, suffer from aortic stenosis, a condition caused by narrowed heart valves. These narrow valves result in the reduction or blockage of blood flow from the heart to the body. This condition can lead to heart failure or disease, the number one killer in America. 

You may qualify for TAVR if you suffer from aortic stenosis. Typically, aortic stenosis is caused from:

  • Calcium deposits in the heart valves
  • Birth defects
  • Radiation therapy
  • Scar tissue in the heart valves caused by untreated strep throat

A physician referral is required. For more information, call 806-212-4668.

CardioMEMS

CardioMEMS

BSA's CardioMEMS™ Heart Failure (HF) sensor implantation procedure is providing patients suffering from heart failure the ability to proactively monitor their condition from the comfort of their home and reduce their chance of future hospitalization.

During the procedure, the CardioMEMS™ HF sensor, which is roughly the length of a paper clip, is implanted into the pulmonary artery. Once implanted, the patient will send daily pulmonary artery pressure updates to their physician by lying down at home, for a short period, on a device which reads the sensor’s data. The information from the sensor is automatically uploaded to a secure website that the patient’s care team can access.

To qualify for the procedure, patients must have been diagnosed with heart failure, have been hospitalized due to heart failure once during the past year and have a physician referral.

For more information, click here.

Accreditation

Designated and Accredited for High-Quality Cardiac Care 

BSA Hospital has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ for cardiac care by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. BSA Hospital is currently the only hospital in Amarillo with this designation. Facilities recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ show expertise in delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes.

BSA is an accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology for the ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.

Patient Education

Downloadable EHAC Guide

Knowing the risks, signs and preventive measures for heart-related issues can be life-saving. Learn more about protecting your heart by downloading the Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC) Guide below. 

Download EHAC Guide 

Videos

Service Locations