Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Every year, about 1.5 million Americans suffer heart attacks, and one-third are fatal. Most victims have no more than a slightly elevated cholesterol level, while many individuals with plaque deposits exhibit no symptoms of heart disease.
With a commitment to excellence and advancement of the state of cardiac medicine, Cedars-Sinai has assembled a world-class team of outstanding cardiac physicians, researchers, nurses and clinicians to create the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.
The Heart Institute is dedicated exclusively to diagnosing, preventing, treating, managing and researching diseases, conditions and disorders of the heart and vascular system. Services range from noninvasive techniques, such as nuclear and echocardiographic imaging, cardiac MRI and electron beam computed tomography (EBCT), to invasive procedures, including angioplasty, stenting, arrhythmia ablation, pacemaker/defibrillator implantation, bypass surgery, valve repair/replacement and heart transplants.
Always on the forefront of ground-breaking discoveries, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center was the:
- First transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR) center in the southwestern United States
- First medical center to provide pediatric video-assisted thoracotomy surgery in Southern California
- Second in the nation to implant the St. Jude valve
- First site in California to offer LDL apheresis, an FDA-approved system for lowering LDL cholesterol in patients who do not respond to treatment
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is the first hospital in California and one of the first in the nation to use a portable artificial heart.
The Heart Institute is currently conducting a number of research studies, including investigations on the role of blood thinners in heart failure, early detection of heart disease through noninvasive techniques, evaluating the effects of supplemental magnesium on patients with heart disease, evaluating the effects of hormone replacement therapy for women with heart disease and testing a number of new treatments for congestive heart failure.
Among the comprehensive services offered at the Heart Institute are premier programs that have set the highest standards for cardiac care, including the:
- Cardiology consultative services from highly regarded doctors, many of whom are ranked among the top in the nation for their expertise
- Pediatric Cardiology Services, which focuses on treating heart disease in children, whether still in the womb, at birth or as the child grows up
- Cardiothoracic Surgery Services, which provides various procedures to treat many forms of heart disease, such as bypass surgery, heart valve replacement and heart valve repair
- Heart Transplant Program, which treats end-stage heart conditions through heart transplants, heart-lung transplants and ventricular assist device implants (VADs) that keep the heart working while the patient waits for an available donor heart
- Cedars-Sinai Heart Watch, which offers noninvasive tests to detect early stages of plaque buildup in the arteries
- The Preventative and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center offers education, training and support to help patients achieve a good functional status and maintain a healthier lifestyle
- Cardiovascular Intervention Center and Electrophysiology Services, which perform angiograms, angioplasty/stenting, valintoplasty, septal ablation, non-surgical closure of holes in the heart, arrhythmia diagnosis, arrhythmia ablation, pacemaker and defibrillator implants
- Cardiac Noninvasive Laboratory, which offers echocardiography, transesophageal echo, dolutamine/exercise echo and treadmill testing for diagnosing various heart diseases
- Cardiovascular Critical Care, which provides state-of-the-art care for critically ill cardiac patients in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
The Heart Foundation, a supporter of Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, plays an important role in funding research activities as well as building awareness of cardiac artery disease.
Combining unparalleled healthcare and aggressive research with a team of experienced specialists and state-of-the-art facilities, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is contributing to better cardiac health in the community and around the world.
