What we do
Cardiology services
Testing, diagnosis, and ongoing care, all under one roof on Herlong Avenue — and all reviewed by Dr. Hicklin himself.
In the office
Care at the Herlong Avenue office
Everything below is done here, usually in a single visit, with results read by Dr. Hicklin rather than sent away.
- Preventive cardiology
- Finding and treating the risk factors that lead to heart disease — before they cause damage. This is the work of an ordinary appointment: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, family history, and what to do about each.
- Cholesterol evaluation and treatment
- Blood testing to measure the cholesterol and triglycerides circulating in your blood, followed by a plan — diet, exercise, medication, or some combination — to bring the numbers into a safer range.
- High blood pressure treatment
- Blood pressure that stays high quietly damages the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels for years before symptoms appear. Treatment means finding a medication and lifestyle plan that gets your numbers down and keeps them there.
- Peripheral vascular disease evaluation and treatment
- Evaluation of the arteries outside the heart, most often in the legs. Narrowed leg arteries cause cramping when you walk, and they are a warning sign about the arteries elsewhere in the body.
- Echocardiography
- An ultrasound of the heart. A technologist moves a probe across your chest and the sound waves produce a live picture of the heart's chambers, walls, and valves — showing how well it pumps and whether the valves open and close properly. No radiation, no needles.
- Nuclear cardiology and nuclear stress testing
- Images of blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and again under stress, using a small amount of a radioactive tracer. Comparing the two shows areas that are not receiving enough blood when the heart has to work harder.
- Vascular studies
- Non-invasive ultrasound of the arteries and veins — including the carotid arteries in the neck and the vessels of the legs — to look for narrowing, blockage, or clots.
- Event monitors
- A small recorder you wear at home for days or weeks. Palpitations and irregular heartbeats rarely happen during a short office visit; a monitor catches the rhythm while you go about your normal life.
Areas of interest
The areas of cardiology Dr. Hicklin has focused on across 36 years of practice.
- General and Preventive Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Valvular Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Arrhythmias
- Echocardiography
- Nuclear Stress Testing
Not sure which of these you need?
That is what the first appointment is for. Call the office, and you do not need a referral to be seen.