Sports Cardiology

Sports cardiology experts at The University of Kansas Health System offer comprehensive cardiovascular care and testing for athletes and highly active individuals. Our cardiology services benefit healthy people as well as those who have heart disease or are at risk for the condition.

Our team provides pre-participation screenings and services for both recreational and elite athletes. We also serve those who are seeking a second opinion. Our sports medicine cardiologist provides care for people who:

• Need clearance to resume sports participation after a cardiac event or cardiovascular surgery
• Are experiencing chest pain, palpitations or shortness of breath during training or competition
• Are experiencing sudden or unexplained deterioration in athletic performance
• Have unexplained fatigue
• Are experiencing impaired athletic performance after medical treatment
• Have a genetic risk or a family history of cardiovascular disease
• Need advice about controlling cardiovascular disease
• Need counseling on cardiovascular health and cardiac risk reduction
• Need a deeper level of understanding of their heart

Our sports medicine cardiologist works with patients and their primary care doctors to develop a coordinated diagnostic and treatment plan.

We perform screenings for individuals of all fitness levels. Screenings begin with a detailed medical history and physical exam. Advanced diagnostic techniques are incorporated as needed. Techniques may include:

• Cardiac MRI or CT
• Cardiopulmonary and exercise stress test
• Echocardiography
• Genetic testing

We also provide screenings for serious conditions, including:

• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
• Coronary anomalies
• Heart valve diseases
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Inherited arrhythmias

Our sports medicine cardiologist also performs cardiac screenings and consultations for recreational, collegiate, professional and master athletes prior to participation. The evaluations aim to identify pre-existing heart conditions and prevent athletes from experiencing cardiac events or sudden death before, during or after exercise.

The University of Kansas Health System is among the nation's top cardiovascular programs. Our large care team consists of physicians and other professionals who have advanced training and rich experience in multiple heart specialties, including interventional cardiology, electrophysiology and cardiovascular surgery.