Vascular Disease
Vascular diseases affect blood flow in the arteries or veins. This happens when the blood vessels become blocked or weakened, or when the valves in the veins become damaged. Organs and other body structures may be damaged if blood flow decreases or is fully blocked.
Types of vascular disease include:
Having vascular disease puts you at an increased risk of heart disease, peripheral artery disease, and stroke.
From Our Health Library
Treatment Options Available at Hawaiʻi Pacific Health Heart Centers
Advanced Imaging Services
Advanced cardiac imaging offers detailed views to guide diagnosis and treatment. We provide transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (including 3D), cardiac MRI for tissue characterization and flow quantification, and cardiac CT for precise anatomical mapping when necessary.
Our imaging protocols limit radiation and sedation needs whenever possible. We review results with multidisciplinary teams to align imaging findings with surgical or catheterization strategies. Families receive clear explanations. Sometimes annotated images are included to support understanding and shared decisions.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
TAVR is a less invasive procedure that can treat aortic stenosis, a serious problem with the heart valve that controls blood flow out of the heart.
In the past, replacing a heart valve usually required open-heart surgery, which was not always the best option for older adults or people with other health concerns. With TAVR, doctors guide a manmade valve through a small incision and place it inside the damaged valve, helping blood flow more easily through the heart.
For some patients, this option can be safer and may help them recover sooner, so they can get back to everyday life with more comfort and confidence.
Since performing their first TAVR procedure in 2018, the team at the Clarence T.C. Ching Heart Center at Straub Benioff Medical Center has completed more than 1,000 procedures and counting.
The Harmony™ Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve
The Harmony™ valve is used in cases of pulmonary valve regurgitation. This is a potentially life-threatening condition where a valve doesn’t close all the way. Blood can then flow back into the heart.
Kapiʻolani Medical Center's Pediatric Heart Center was the first in Hawaiʻi to offer this is a minimally invasive procedure, providing some of our smallest patients the opportunity to have their heart repaired without open-heart surgery.