Heart

When a heart or cardiovascular problem occurs, St. Vincent Medical Center is equipped to provide the right care right away. As a pioneer hospital in heart surgery and with state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratories, St. Vincent Medical Center diagnoses and treats all types of arterial blockage and heartbeat rhythm disorders. Our physicians, nurses and staff are very experienced and dedicated to the mission of the hospital—treating patients well.

In 1957, St. Vincent Medical Center was the first hospital on the West Coast to perform successful open heart surgery. In the decades since that achievement, we’ve become a renowned center for cardiac care, providing comprehensive diagnosis and treatment services for everything from common problems to rare disorders.

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories

Symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath or lower-than-normal energy may be due to a cardiovascular problem. Our cardiologists use the cardiac cath labs to diagnose abnormalities like blocked arteries, PFO and valve disorders.

St. Vincent Medical Center was the first hospital in Los Angeles to offer transesophageal echocardiography, a non-invasive way for cardiologists to view the beating heart.

Cardiologists diagnose problems by inserting a catheter through an artery in the leg into the coronary arteries. They can treat a clogged coronary artery in the Cath Lab by placing a stent, a tiny wire mesh tube that props open the artery to keep the blood flowing.

Cardiologists can now seal a PFO opening by performing a cardiac catheterization and placing a closure device (septal occluder)  in the PFO.

Electrophysiology Services

A heart that continually beats fast or often skips a beat may require treatment. Specialized cardiologists at St. Vincent Medical Center can restore the heart’s natural rhythm. Our physicians use the latest techniques to restore cardiac rhythm, including:

• Cardioversion—A low-energy electrical shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm.
• Ablation—The use of radiowave energy to modify the heart’s electrical circuits.
• Pacemaker—A battery-operated device used to transmit electrical impulses to the heart to maintain a normal heart rate. The pacemaker is implanted under the skin.
• ICD (Implantable cardioverter defibrillator)—A device that is implanted to permanently monitor heart rhythm and deliver a mild electrical impulse to the heart muscle whenever symptoms occur.
• Bi-V ICD (Biventricular Implantable cardioverter defibrillator)—People with heart failure who have poor ejection fraction (measurement that shows how well the heart pumps with each beat) are at risk for fast irregular heart rhythms — some of which can be life-threatening. Currently, doctors use an ICD to prevent these arrhythmias. The device works by detecting such a rhythm and shocking the heart back to normal. These devices can combine biventricular pacing with anti-tachycardia (fast heart rate) pacing and internal defibrillators to deliver treatment as needed. Current studies are showing that resynchronization may even lessen the amount of arrhythmia that occurs, decreasing the frequency of ICD firing. These devices are improving heart failure patients’ quality of life as well as improving their safety.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Options

Some heart conditions require surgery. After a thorough evaluation in the Cath Lab, a cardiologist may refer a patient to a cardiac surgeon for an operation.

Skilled cardiac surgeons use our advanced surgical facilities, which are outfitted with a video endoscopic tower and video-assisted thoracic surgery equipment that allow them to perform certain procedures through smaller incisions. Minimally invasive surgery has been proven to result in less pain, faster healing and shorter hospital stays.

Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass (OPCAB)

One of the most significant recent advances in cardiac surgery is off-pump bypass, which enables the surgeon to operate on a patient’s heart while it continues to beat. Surgeons at St. Vincent Medical Center have performed more than 1,500 off-pump, or “beating heart,” surgeries.

Transmyocardial Revascularization

Unlike other hospitals, St. Vincent Medical Center offers a minimally invasive approach to transmyocardial revascularization. During this procedure, the surgeon makes tiny holes in the heart with a laser to restore blood flow and oxygen to the heart and encourage the growth of small blood vessels.

For more information about heart services and for a physician referral, call (866) 478-8462.

Throughout the years, we’ve worked to establish a reputation as a leader in heart care, and have remained dedicated to research, diagnosis, treatment and understanding in all matters relating to the heart. This is why our Heart Center has been recognized as a Cardiac Center of Excellence from a number of health plans.

For more information about the latest in heart care, visit the American Heart Association.