Patient Resources

1.

Cleveland Clinic

The Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute is the largest cardiovascular practice in the U.S. No hospital in America sees more patients for heart and vascular conditions than Cleveland Clinic. Our caregivers have collectively seen it all and experienced it all. What does that mean to you? It means that as a patient of Cleveland Clinic, you’ll have access to the broadest possible range of solutions from skilled, experienced doctors, nurses and technicians. Options you may not have in your home town – or anywhere else in America.

2.

Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)

Physicians in Cardiology and Vascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota are committed to providing the most appropriate and highest quality of care to patients with cardiovascular disease. More than 150 staff physicians provide care for patients with cardiovascular disease, which includes disorders of the heart, arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels. Physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease work together in a highly integrated and collaborative group practice. The heart care practice at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is one of the broadest and largest in the world. Members of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases care for approximately 55,000 patients annually. Patients have access to cardiologists in 26 dedicated clinics and laboratories who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of more than 120 cardiovascular diseases and conditions. Adult and pediatric cardiologists collaborate to provide integrated, coordinated care for patients of all ages. New diagnostic techniques, drugs and interventions are continuously being introduced into cardiology and vascular medicine. The expertise of the physicians in Mayo's many specialized areas enables the entire Cardiovascular Diseases Division to stay at the leading edge of change in cardiology and vascular medicine.

3.

Johns Hopkins Hospital

For generations, people with serious heart problems have turned to Johns Hopkins cardiologists and cardiac surgeons for help. Recognized worldwide, Hopkins cardiologists provide comprehensive care of the highest quality, ensuring that patients receive the most advanced treatments known to medicine. Our cardiology program features expert physicians who diagnose and treat common and rare cardiac diseases. Some of these may include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Acute Coronary Syndrome
• Angina
• Heart Failure
• Cardiomyopathies - dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
• Ventricular tachycardia
• Sudden death
• Valvular Heart disease
• Aortic and Mitral Stenosis
• Aortic and Mitral Regurgitation
• Mixed valvular heart disease
• Inherited Heart Disease

4.

Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, home of Texas Heart® Institute (THI), is an internationally recognized leader in heart care. Together, St. Luke's and THI form one of the world's largest cardiovascular centers, offering a full range of specialty heart programs. Those programs are provided by cardiovascular and cardiology specialists who are among the world's most experienced, operating in one of the most respected research and educational settings in the world.

Why Choose St. Luke's for Heart Care?

• Premier heart hospital. U.S. News & World Report has ranked THI at St. Luke's among the nation's top 10 centers for cardiology and heart surgery every year since 1991 when the ranking began. We rank as a top four center for 2011-2012.
• Cardiovascular history-maker. St. Luke's has teamed with THI for some of the most important medical achievements in cardiovascular history - including the nation's first successful heart transplant, the world's first total artificial heart transplant, and effective methods of preventing heart attacks by reducing the formation of artery blockages.
• Breadth of experience. To date, we have performed more than 250,000 cardiac catheterizations, 115,000 open heart surgeries, and 1,100  heart transplants.
• International referral center. We treat the most complex cases, with patients from 85 countries coming to St. Luke's each year for heart care.

5.

Massachusetts General Hospital

The Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center has assembled a dedicated team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac nurses and cardiac radiologists to provide leading cardiac care. Our clinicians are some of the world’s foremost experts in diagnosing, treating and preventing heart disease. Each of our 11 condition-specific programs offers a team approach to diagnosis and treatment that involves a multidisciplinary team of physicians who specialize in a particular type of heart condition. In 1916 Massachusetts General Hospital opened one of the first dedicated cardiac units in the nation. Since then, we have made significant contributions to cardiology, including:

• Developing the first-of-its-kind heart monitor to detect and treat arrhythmias
• Investigating ways to dissolve blood clots in the coronary arteries of patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Pioneering the development of pacemakers
• Developing minimally invasive techniques, such as opening narrowed heart valves with balloons and closing heart defects with catheters

6.

New York Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital brings together renowned expertise in all areas of cardiovascular medicine from both NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, to provide the best patient care and services. In 2011-2012, our program was ranked 6th in the nation in the annual Best Hospitals survey conducted by U.S.News and World Report. To ensure that our patients have access to the most advanced, innovative tools for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, we equip our physicians with the latest technology. We offer the full range of state-of-the-art diagnostic services, including intracoronary ultrasound, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiologic studies, cardiac MRI, PET, SPECT and MUGA scans.

Interventional cardiologists in the Division of Cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and in the Cardiovascular Interventional Therapy Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia offer a full range of cutting edge non-surgical treatment options such as, carotid artery stenting, coronary artery stenting with state-of-the-art drug eluting stents, ablative treatment of arrhythmias, carotid, renal, and peripheral vascular angioplasty, balloon valvuloplasty for mitral and aortic heart valve disease, endovascular treatment of atherosclerosis, alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, and minimally invasive treatment for atrial septal defects.

7.

Duke University Medical Center

Among the largest cardiovascular programs in the country, the Duke Division of Cardiology is dedicated to excellence in patient care, teaching, and research. The division has long excelled in basic science research in all aspects of cardiovascular medicine, and these efforts have markedly expanded in recent years. Their growth coincides with the development of new genomics and genetics initiatives. Research in the clinical sciences is led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), the premier academic research organization worldwide. The predecessor to the DCRI is the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease, which today is the world's oldest and largest compilation of information on the outcomes of heart care. Use of this databank has shaped the practice of cardiology around the world.

8.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

For almost a century, Brigham and Women’s Hospital has been delivering the most innovative and comprehensive care for patients with complex disorders of the heart, blood vessels, and circulation. Today, the new Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center is the most advanced cardiovascular care center of its kind in the region – equipped with the latest technologies and spaces tailored around the needs of our cardiovascular patients and their families. Brigham and Women’s Cardiovascular Center continues to lead the way, with new discoveries and research findings that have been put into practice around the world. Milestones include:

• The first successful heart valve surgery in the world;
• Findings on cholesterol and clot-busting drugs;
• Identification of C-reactive protein.

9.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

The UCLA Interventional Cardiology Program provides the following services:

• Diagnostic cardiac catheterization and angiography
• Coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
• Cutting balloon angioplasty
• Coronary stenting
• Intravascular radiation therapy (brachytherapy)
• Directional and rotational atherectomy
• Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)
• Mitral and Aortic Valvuloplasty (PTAV/PTMV)
• Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)
• Closure of Atrial Septal Defects (ASD)
• Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)
• Amplatzer Device
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HOCM) treatment with Alcohol Septal Ablation

10.

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Penn Heart and Vascular combines the renowned expertise of its clinicians, researchers and educators to provide comprehensive, high quality care to all patients, no matter how " high risk" their condition. Penn's expert cardiologists, cardiac and vascular surgeons and subspecialists offer patient-centered care using the most advanced treatment options and therapies available.

• Penn offers the most comprehensive range of services in the region, including preventative and consultative services, diagnostic imaging and testing, and drug therapy, heart assist devices and surgical treatment options that can found at only a few centers across the country. Penn specialists personalize treatment plans to match the needs of each patient.
• Penn Heart and Vascular's clinical services take a fully integrated approach to cardiovascular care and disease prevention. They are designed to provide a seamless continuum of care from early prevention strategies to end-stage options.
• As a high-volume center, Penn heart and vascular specialists routinely perform procedures that may be done only occasionally at other locations. Studies have shown that Centers performing higher volumes of procedures have better patient outcomes.
• Penn physicians, nurses and clinical staff create a supportive environment for patients. They understand what it's like to be on the patient's side of the table, they listen, and they tailor recommendations and care plans to each patient's individual needs.
• Penn's cardiovascular clinicians are at the forefront of medicine. Because they teach the next generation of leaders, they are not only well-versed in the latest clinical practices today, but also are developing promising treatment options for tomorrow.
• As a national leader in basic science, translational research and clinical trials, Penn offers patients access to the latest treatment options before they are widely available elsewhere in the region.
• Penn's research programs are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and are at the forefront of innovation.