Specialized cardiac programs at Hahnemann University Hospital include:

The Cardiothoracic Surgical Program provides a broad spectrum of advanced surgical care for diseases affecting organs inside the thorax (the chest). Cardiac surgeries include:

·         Coronary Bypass Procedures

·         Surgical Ventricular Reconstruction

·         Valve Surgical Procedures

·         Laser Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR) Procedures

·         Maze Procedure

Other cardiac procedures may use a minimally invasive technique known as "keyhole" surgery, which requires only small incisions and promote faster recovery. Rather than opening the chest, surgeons use highly specialized equipment to perform complicated operations through the keyhole incisions. Current techniques include port access, minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB), less invasive sternal approach (LISA), and minimal access surgery (MACS). These approaches are particularly advantageous for mitral valve repair and to close atrial septal defects.

Catheterization and Peripheral Vascular Services

Hahnemann's Cardiac Catheterization Program is one of the busiest in the region, performing thousands of procedures each year. These procedures can both diagnose and treat numerous heart conditions, offering patients interventional therapies instead of surgery. The team of physicians, nurses and technologists in our laboratories perform a wide range of services from routine outpatient diagnostic catheterizations to innovative advanced procedures for complicated cardiac diseases.

The hospital also remains a leader in cardiovascular clinical research, and participated in research on drug-coated stents. These devices are designed to help prevent blockages from recurring within the treated site. The stent is coated with a drug, which helps prevent scar tissue, which is a leading cause of restenosis.

Our cath lab also offers alternative treatments to patients who have congenital heart anomalies such as Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) or Atrial Septal Defects (ASD). Cardiac Plug devices are heart patches used for patients with these conditions, who would otherwise require either open-heart surgery or long-term treatment on a blood-thinning medication.

Building upon our tradition of cardiovascular excellence, Hahnemann's catheterization program has expanded to include a laboratory specializing in procedures involving other vascular regions. One of the first of its kind in the region, our peripheral vascular lab has the capability to image both vascular and coronary anatomy. This flexibility offers patients access to a multi-specialty team of experts, including cardiologists, neuroradiologists and surgeons – all in one setting. Our peripheral vascular equipment enables us to perform comprehensive diagnostic arteriograms on patients with a variety of medical conditions affecting the lower extremities, kidneys, brachiocephalic vessels and the abdominal aorta.

You can learn more about the following catheterization and peripheral vascular procedures by clicking on the links here: 

·         Angioplasty

·         Carotid, Peripheral, and Renal Artery Stenting

·         Endografts (Endovascular Aneurysm Repair)

·        Minimally-Invasive Repair of Structural Heart Disease

Click here to watch an animation of cardiac catheterization.

Nuclear Cardiology

The cardiovascular nuclear imaging laboratory offers inpatient and outpatient stress test and nuclear imaging studies, using advanced equipment and software. The lab is actively involved in research studies for developing new techniques for the detection of coronary artery disease, for imaging atherosclerosis and for imaging cell heart muscle damage in patients with heart disease.