Instituto Cardiotecnológico Andaluz
Clinical Units
Our Clinical Units
Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit
The Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit is a specialized service for the comprehensive rehabilitation of patients who have recently suffered from angina pectoris, a myocardial infarction, or are in the post-heart surgery phase and experiencing physical incapacity.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
The Instituto Cardiotecnológico Andaluz’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit consists of a team of specialists in cardiology, rehabilitation, clinical psychology and nutrition, who provide an integrated therapeutic program to help people with cardiovascular disease recover their physical, psychological, and socio-occupational state.
The Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit helps reduce the number of permanent disabilities caused by coronary heart disease, while improving patients’ quality of life and achieving:
- Recovery of maximum functional capacity through a controlled physical training program.
- Control of cardiovascular risk factors through clinical monitoring.
- Reduction of the convalescence period.
- The personal, social, and occupational readjustment of the patient through psychological techniques that help overcome the disease and associated complications, such as depression.
- Reduction of the mortality associated with new cardiac events.
The Instituto Cardiotecnológico’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit uses the most advanced technology available in the field, such as telemetric monitoring of each patient, to avoid any undesirable effects and enable safe performance of aerobic exercise.
Sudden Death in Sport Unit
At ICTA, we have created a dedicated Unit for the treatment and prevention of Sudden Death in Sportspeople. This multidisciplinary team specializes in the early diagnosis of potentially fatal cardiovascular diseases, as well as their monitoring and treatment, all of which take place within ICTA’s Heart Center. This is possible not only thanks to the availability of material resources, including the most advanced technologies, but also to coordination between the team of expert professionals in related heart conditions.
Sudden Death in Sport (SCD in sports)
“Sudden death” is defined as death that occurs abruptly and unexpectedly within the first hour of the onset of symptoms in an apparently healthy individual, as is often the case with athletes.
Although the published incidence is low, according to data from around the world, the actual frequency is probably higher because cases from mass-attendance sports are widely reported and recorded whereas its incidence from less practiced or recreational sports is under-reported.
It is estimated that between 1-2 out of every 200,000 athletes die annually from sudden death caused after performing some sports activity. It is known to be more frequent in men than in women, and that the incidence of sudden death in young athletes is double that in the general population.
At ICTA, we specialize in potentially fatal cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiac causes are the most frequent. Among people over the age of 35, the cause is coronary artery disease. For people under 35 and sportspeople, the causes are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, coronary artery anomalies, chest trauma, and electrical heart abnormalities (long QT, etc.).
Marfan Unit
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance that primarily affects the cardiovascular, ocular, and musculoskeletal systems. Our Marfan Unit makes use of the most advanced technologies available and consists of a team of professionals who are experts in the disease, its diagnosis, medical management and surgical treatment.
Marfan Unit
In most cases, Marfan syndrome is caused by a mutation in the fibrillin-1 (FBN1) gene, located on chromosome 15 (15q21.1), a glycoprotein widely distributed in elastic and non-elastic tissues. The estimated incidence of cases is 1 per 5,000-10,000 inhabitants. The survival of these patients is primarily determined by the severity of cardiovascular involvement, with aortic pathology (aortic rupture or dissection) being the most frequent cause of death. Such is its incidence that it is estimated that life expectancy in Marfan syndrome without proper monitoring and treatment is 30 years compared to 70 if care is adequate. Due to the diversity and severity of the anomalies they present, it is easy to understand that these patients require the attention of various specialists.
Patients with Marfan syndrome should be diagnosed and monitored by a multidisciplinary medical team that coordinates and guides the actions to be taken.
This is why we created a multidisciplinary group for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of patients with Marfan syndrome within ICTA’s Heart Center. This was the first Marfan Unit launched in private healthcare in Spain. Its members have previous experience in the dynamics and progress of the condition; they manage Canal Marfan (an informative website about this disease).
Vithas Xanit
Avenida de los Argonautas, s/n, 29630, Benalmádena (Málaga)
(+34) 952 367 19
