Cardiology in Israel

HCM, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, refers to an enlargement of a portion of the heart muscle, which leads to functional impairment. It is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death. While it can lead to shortness of breath, angina, palpitations and syncope, it is often asymptomatic until sudden cardiac death. That is why heart specialists recommend regular screenings for people at risk of developing the condition.

A thoracic aortic aneurysm is an abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of the thoracic artery caused by its wall’s weakness. Thoracic aortic aneurysms are most often asymptomatic and are usually detected accidentally during tests performed for other reasons (i.e. chest CT or X-ray or an echocardiogram).

When symptoms do present, they include:

Heart surgery is an umbrella term describing multiple types of interventions on the cardiac muscle. These include CABG, valve replacement, arrhythmia treatment, pacemaker implantation, and so on. Israeli medical centers Assuta and Sheba Tel HaShomer are considered world leaders in this field.