Improving and saving lives with the most advanced heart failure treatments in central Ohio

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure, sometimes called congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to meet the needs of the body’s other organs. Heart failure affects approximately five million adults in the United States.

The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, weight gain, swelling of the lower extremities and fatigue. Many conditions that cause heart failure result in irreversible damage and, in some cases, may necessitate a heart transplant or mechanical cardiac support.

Congestive heart failure is usually a sign of an underlying heart problem. In addition to affecting the heart’s pumping efficiency, it interferes with normal kidney function. When the kidneys cannot properly eliminate sodium and waste from the body, the body retains excess fluid.

The severity of the condition and the symptoms you experience depend on how much of the heart’s pumping capacity has been lost.


What is Heart Failure?

Ayesha Hasan, MD, a heart failure specialist at Ohio State’s Heart and Vascular Center, explains what heart failure is and the common symptoms and treatments for heart failure.

Treating the Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure Connection

Making connections with sleep apnea is aiding the treatment of patients with heart failure.

Ohio State Advances Heart Failure Care

Ohio State led the national study of a new heart failure monitoring device, and was the first in the nation to use the device in patients after it received FDA approval.

Cardiac Care at Ohio State with Dr. Sitaramesh Emani

Patients receiving cardiac care at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center have access to a large team of specialists, which can be particularly helpful in diagnosing and treating difficult or unique cases, says Sitaramesh Emani, MD.

Treating Congestive Heart Failure

Methods of Treating Heart Failure

Treatment of congestive heart failure depends on the cause of the disease. Your doctor will decide which are right for you.

Treating Heart Failure with Medication

Medications to treat congestive heart failure include:

  • Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  • Diuretics
  • Vasodilators
  • Antiarrhythmic medications
  • Beta-blockers
  • Aldosterone blockers
  • Nitrates
  • digoxin
  • Other medications prescribed to increase heart strength, control rhythm problems and increase pumping action

Treating Heart Failure with Surgery

Surgery and procedures to treat congestive heart failure include:

Heart Failure Causes & Diagnoses

Heart Failure Causes

Heart failure can be caused by:

Diagnosing Congestive Heart Failure

Ohio State's Heart and Vascular Center treats more than 2,000 heart failure patients each year. Our team collaborates on each patient's case to determine the best course of treatment.Tests to diagnose congestive heart failure at Ohio State include:

  • Chest X-ray: A chest x-ray or radiograph is a picture of the heart and lungs including blood vessels, ribs and bones of the spine.
  • Echocardiogram: Also called echo, this test uses sound waves to assess the function and structure of the heart muscle and valves.
  • Electrocardiogram: A test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
  • B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Testing: This test detects a hormone released from the ventricles in response to increased wall tension that occurs with heart failure.

Resources for Patients

This series of videos provides education and helpful information for people diagnosed with congestive heart failure. 

Limiting Fluid Intake with Congestive Heart Failure

Greg Segelhorst, RN, explains how to properly manage fluids in your diet if you have heart failure.


Monitoring Your Weight with Congestive Heart Failure

Clinical Nurse Specialist Todd Yamokoski explains the importance of managing your weight if you have congestive heart failure.

Heart Failure and Low-Sodium Diet

Ohio State clinical dietitian Emily Lisciandro discusses sodium and its effect on heart health.

When to Seek Help for Your Heart Failure Symptoms

Congestive heart failure transition navigator Abbey Booth discusses when you should call your doctor about your symptoms.

What is Congestive Heart Failure?

In this video, Ohio State cardiologists William Abraham, MD, and Ayesha Hasan, MD, explain congestive heart failure.

Why Choose Ohio State for Heart Failure Care

Ohio State’s Heart and Vascular Center has the most extensive congestive heart failure treatment program in central Ohio, treating more than 2,000 heart failure patients each year. At Ohio State, your care is managed by a multidisciplinary team of heart failure specialists and nurse practitioners who work in collaboration with nurses, pharmacists, social workers, dietitians and heart surgeons to provide both routine care and advanced treatment options not found elsewhere in central Ohio.

Our approach to treatment is to start with the simplest, least invasive steps, such as medication, lifestyle changes and sleep apnea evaluation. If symptoms persist, we move up to more invasive procedures only as you need it.

For those requiring advanced treatment, we are the only program in the region performing implantation of artificial heart pumps, ventricular assist devices (VADs) and heart transplantation.

We completed our first heart transplant in 1986. With more than 400 heart transplants since then, our program remains central Ohio’s only adult heart transplant program.

In addition, Ohio State was the fourth institution in the country certified to implant the temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart, which serves as a bridge to transplant for the most critically ill patients.

Patients at Ohio State are often the first to benefit from heart and vascular research done right here. If you have already been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and are looking for a second opinion, our heart experts may be able to help. Ohio State is home to a team leading the research and clinical trials to improve treatment of heart failure that may not be available elsewhere.


Heart Failure Program Leaders

Our leaders

garrie haas

Garrie Haas, MD, FACC

Director, Heart Failure and Transplant Program

Dr. Haas is a professor of Clinical Medicine at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center and director of the Heart and Vascular Research Organization (HVRO).

Dr. Haas is routinely recognized as one of the “Best Doctors in America” and his articles and abstracts have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, and he is a frequent presenter on the topics of acute and chronic heart failure management. His research interests include heart failure and hemodynamic monitoring, heart failure disease management and cardiomyopathy.

ayesha hasan

Ayesha Hasan, MD

Medical Director, Heart Transplant Program

Dr. Hasan is the director of the Heart Failure Devices Clinic. She is an associate professor of Clinical Medicine and director of the heart failure and transplant fellowship at Ohio State. 

Dr. Hasan is an invited lecturer on the local, national and international level, giving presentations on chronic heart failure and cardiac resynchronization therapy. Her articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals. She has a special interest in device therapy for heart failure, including biventricular pacing, hemodynamic monitoring and ventricular device support.

william abraham

William Abraham, MD, FACP, FACC

Director, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Deputy Director, Ohio State’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute

Dr. Abraham is routinely recognized as one of the “Best Doctors in America” and was the inaugural designated Chair of Excellence in Cardiovascular Medicine at Ohio State’s College of Medicine. He has co-edited a leading textbook on heart failure, has been a principal investigator in more than 100 multicenter clinical drug and device trials and has authored more than 600 professional works. Dr. Abraham earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in cardiology and heart failure/cardiac transplantation at the University of Colorado.

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