Congestive Heart Failure Clinic

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious chronic health condition that affects an estimated 6.2 million people in the U.S. CHF can result from several conditions that affect your heart’s ability to fill properly and pump blood through your body. 

Getting the right diagnosis and treatment can slow down the disease progression and help you live a longer, healthier life. The Congestive Heart Failure Clinic at Advocate Heart Institute is one of the most comprehensive programs in the nation.

What is congestive heart failure (CHF)?

Congestive heart failure is a very broad term for a condition that affects the heart’s ability to fill or pump blood through the body. It can be the result of several different heart conditions. It’s common for people to experience symptoms of heart failure, especially as they get older. Typical heart failure symptoms include:

Congestive heart failure treatment

At Advocate Heart Institute we offer advanced care to treat heart failure and manage the underlying causes and the symptoms of CHF. We can help you live longer and improve your quality of life.

Team-based care for congestive heart failure

Heart failure is a complex condition with multiple underlying causes. Coordinated care from a team of heart failure specialists ensures that you get the correct diagnosis and CHF treatment plan. Our team includes:

Advanced diagnosis and CHF treatment options

We have a wide range of tools to diagnose the underlying cause of heart failure. Our team of cardiology specialists has extensive experience treating all types of heart conditions.

We offer everything from CHF medication management and device therapies to minimally invasive procedures. We also provide advanced care for complex heart disease, including left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and heart transplants, in our congestive heart failure program.

Monitoring to reduce hospital readmission risk

Most people come to the CHF Clinic after getting treatment in the hospital for a heart-related condition. We coordinate care and treatment to reduce the chance of hospital readmission.

About one in five patients who leave the hospital after heart failure treatment end up rehospitalized within 30 days of discharge. Patients who follow up with a CHF specialist soon after discharge have lower readmission rates and better outcomes. Our CHF specialists meet with patients within five days after discharge to:

• Check medications for potentially harmful interactions and correct dosing
• Provide instruction on how and when to take medications
• Provide nutritional counseling and education for a heart-healthy diet
• Review your CHF treatment plan
• Set up a schedule for regular monitoring

Long-term chronic care management

Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition that requires care and management throughout your life. The right CHF treatment can improve symptoms of heart failure and even help your heart get stronger. Our cardiologists can also discuss options to treat the underlying cause of CHF if available, based on the diagnosis.

Following hospitalization and post-discharge care, our team continues monitoring patients to help manage the symptoms of CHF. We lead the way in using new therapies and treatments to manage heart failure in the long term.