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Congenital Heart Disease Center - Hilo, HI

Hilo Cardiologist Doctors for Congenital Heart Disease

Type of Physician: Cardiologist

What is a Cardiologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners are expert in diseases of the heart, lungs and blood vessels. They consult with surgeons on heart surgery, perform diagnostic procedures, and manage complex conditions such as heart attacks and arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeat).

Specialty: Cardiology

Common Name: Heart Doctor

Cardiologist Doctors in Hilo *

Djon Indra Lim MD
Djon Indra Lim
101 Aupuni St
Hilo Lagoon Ctr STE 140
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 969-3884

Don T Matsuura MD
Don Matsuura
1248 Kinoole St
STE 104
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-0056

Waimea Medical Associates
James R Lucas
45-493C Ilima Hwy
Honokaa, HI 96727
(808) 775-7258

University of Iowa Hospital Rheumatology
Dwight C Look
67-5026 Yutaka Pen Place
Kamuela, HI 96743
(319) 384-6173

Hawaii Cardiology Inc
Neal J Shikuma
65-1267 Kawaihae Rd
Kamuela, HI 96743
(808) 887-6410

Kona Coast Physicians & Surgeons
Armand J Wohl
74-5620 Palani Rd
STE 100
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 331-8860

Hilo, Hawaii

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Congenital Heart Defects

Read the Congenital Heart Defects article »

What are congenital heart defects?

Congenital (kon-JEN-i-tal) heart defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. These defects can involve the interior walls of the heart, valves inside the heart, or the arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart or out to the body. Congenital heart defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart.

There are many different types of congenital heart defects. They range from simple defects with no symptoms to complex defects with severe, life-threatening symptoms.

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, affecting 8 of every 1,000 newborns. Each year, more than 35,000 babies in the United States are born with congenital heart defects. Most of these defects are simple conditions that are easily fixed or need no treatment.

A small number of babies are born with complex congenital heart defects that need special medical attention soon after birth. Over the past few decades, the diagnosis and treatment of these complex defects has greatly improved.

As a result, almost all children with complex heart defects grow to adulthood and can live active, productive lives because their heart defects have been effectively treated.

Most people with complex heart defects continue to need special heart care throughout their lives. They may need to pay special attention to certain issues that their condition could affect, such as health insurance, employment, pregnancy and contraception, and preventing infection during routine health procedures. Today in the United States, about 1 million adults are living with congenital heart defects.

How the heart works

To understand congenital heart defects, it's helpful to know how the normal heart works.

Your child's heart is a muscle about the size of his or her fist. It works like a pump and beats 100,000 times a day. ...

Read the Congenital Heart Defects article »

Recommended Reading Related to Congenital Heart Defects

How the Heart Works »

Intoduction to How The Heart Works

Your heart is an amazing organ. It continuously pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout your body to sustain life. This fist-sized powerhouse beats (expands and contracts) 100,000 times per day, pumping five or six quarts of blood each minute, or about 2,000 gallons per day.

How Does Blood Travel Through the Heart?

As the heart beats, it pumps blood through a system of blood vessels, called the circulatory system. The vessels are elastic, muscular tubes that carry blood to every part of the body.

Blood is essential. In addition to carrying fresh oxygen from the lungs and nutrients to your body's tissues, it also takes the body's waste products, including carbon dioxide, away from the tissues. This is necessary to sustain life and promote the health of all the body's tissues.

There are three main types of blood vessels:

  • Arteries. They begin with the aorta, the l...

Read the How the Heart Works article »

Emergency Contact for Hilo

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Hilo Hospitals *

Hilo Medical Center
1190 Waianuenue Ave
Hilo, HI 96720
(808)974-4700

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Suggested Reading on Congenital Heart Defects by Our Doctors

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Congenital Heart Defects

Ascites »

What is ascites?

Ascites is the accumulation of fluid (usually serous fluid which is a pale yellow and clear fluid) in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity. The abdominal cavity is located below the chest cavity, separated from it by the diaphragm. Ascitic fluid can have many sources such as liver disease, cancers, congestive heart failure, or kidney failure.

What causes ascites?

The most common cause of ascites is advanced liver disease or cirrhosis. Approximately 80% of the ascites cases are thought to be due to cirrhosis. Although the exact mechanism of ascites development is not completely understood, most theories suggest portal hypertension (increased pressure in the liver blood flow) as the main contributor. The basic principle is similar to the formation of edema elsewhere in the body due to an imbalance of pressure between inside the circulation (high pressure system) and outside, in this case, the abdominal...

Read the Ascites article »