8 | MUSChealth.org/heart MUSC HEALTH HEART & VASCULAR CENTER Heart failure can be tricky to diagnose and treat because there are so many causes. Each of Dr. Brian Houston’s patients confirm this fact, as well as why it is important to get the specialized and collaborative care that the MUSC Health Heart & Vascular Center offers. Dr. Houston met one young patient in the ICU who was experiencing shortness of breath, tightness in his chest and inexplicable fatigue for days before. A cardiac PET/CT scan confirmed that the patient had heart inflammation that could be treated with an anti-inflammatory drug. Within a short time, the inflammation was gone, and the patient went back to working two jobs and enjoying a normal life. “It is nice to see a young patient doing so well. It would have been dangerous to miss that diagnosis,” said Dr. Houston, who specializes in the management of advanced heart failure, including the care of patients before and after heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Other patients in Dr. Houston’s care learn that their heart failure has genetic etiologies; in addition to successful treatment, HEART FAILURE Treatments Come in Many Forms Dr. Brian Houston
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