Today, Hahnemann offers a comprehensive cardiac care program from routine outpatient studies to heart transplantation. Five inpatient units on four floors are dedicated to cardiac patients. As an adjunct to our medical staff, highly trained nurse practitioners offer specialized care to our cardiac patients. Another benefit of Hahnemann's academic affiliation is the availability of clinical trials to cardiac patients who qualify, making the newest treatments and medications accessible long before they are widely available.

Hahnemann is also a premier referral center for outlying hospitals. Community hospitals and physicians throughout the region can feel confident about referring their heart patients to Hahnemann. Patients may be transferred by ground or air, via our MedEvac helicopters. After treatment, patients return to the care of the referring physician; our staff is available for follow-up treatment at regular intervals.

Catheterization
Hahnemann's Cardiac Catheterization Program is one of the busiest in the region, performing thousands of diagnostic and interventional procedures each year. The physicians, nurses, and technologists in our five laboratories perform diagnostic exams, balloon angioplasty (PTCA), coronary stents, and a number of other diagnostic and interventional techniques for coronary and valvular heart disease.

One of the first of its kind in the region, our peripheral vascular (PV) catheterization lab has the capability to image vascular and coronary anatomy. The lab offers patients access to a multidisciplinary team approach from cardiology, interventional radiology and vascular surgery.

With its advanced imaging equipment, the lab facilitates comprehensive diagnostic and interventional treatment for patients with conditions such as renal artery stenosis, aortic aneurysms and peripheral vascular disease. Patients may also benefit by receiving treatment for more than one vascular problem in the same setting at the same time.

Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair is now available in the PV lab. This approach is less invasive than traditional repair done in the OR and may shorten both the hospital stay and the recovery period. An endovascular catheter, stent, and guide wire techniques are used to replace the section of aortic wall damaged by an aneurysm.

Electrophysiology
The hospital offers advanced electrophysiology services in its two EP laboratories. The newest laboratory is equipped with electronic mapping and ablation equipment. Electrophysiology services offer many advantages to the growing volume of patients requiring implantation of pacemakers and follow-up, internal defibrillators, and radiofrequency ablation of arrhythmias.

A versatile fluoroscopy system allows access to all vascular areas for insertion of pacemakers and defibrillators, as well as the ability to perform electrophysiological studies and complex ablations. A control room contains the most modern mapping and ablation equipment available. The second lab has created an arena for advanced complex treatment procedures and expanded the hospital's capacity to accept new referrals, new invasive cardiologists and participation in education and advanced research trials.

Cardiothoracic Surgery
The Cardiothoracic Surgical Program provides a broad spectrum of surgical care and maintains one of the region's top-tier programs.

Coronary bypass procedures are performed either using the heart lung machine or with new off-pump techniques, which use stabilizing devices for single-or multi-vessel bypass surgery while the heart is beating, allowing natural blood flow. This option can reduce the risk of stroke and the need for blood transfusion. Kidney and lung complications may be less frequent using the off-pump technique.

Heart valve surgical procedures include repair or replacement using mechanical, tissue, or human valves.

Some 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).

Hahnemann is also one of only a few sites that offers laser transmyocardial revascularization (TMR). This procedure may be available for severe angina patients whose arteries are not suitable for bypass. Small channels are produced through the outside heart wall to increase blood flow.

In addition to cardiac surgery, cardiothoracic surgeons play a vital role in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of patients with lung cancer, including thoracotomy, pneumonectomy, lobectomy, wedge resections, mediastinoscopy/bronchoscopy, and video-assisted thorascopy.

Transplantation
Hahnemann has an active cardiac transplantation division, which has performed more than more than 250 heart transplants. Cardiac assist devices, both short- and long-term are routinely performed as a bridge to heart transplant or to heart recovery.

The Heart Failure/Transplant Program is comprised of several hundred patients who are followed from selection to the program through post-care. Along with highly skilled physician and nursing care, our Heart Failure/Transplant Unit, which occupies rooms on two floors, features a home-like atmosphere for patients awaiting a transplant. This area includes a patient and family lounge, an exercise area, and laundry facilities. A cardiac rehabilitation program offers support to the post-procedure patient.

The Heart Failure Outpatient Unit opened in 1993 to provide patient services all in one site and was one of the first of its kind in Philadelphia. The Heart Failure Center located on the 7th Floor also has a patient-friendly design, which was constructed based on some of the recommendations from patients and families.

Non-invasive Testing
Our services include transthoracic echocardiology, transesophageal echocardiography, stress echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, Holter monitoring, ECGs, event arrhythmia recordings, nuclear cardiology, myocardial perfusion imaging, MUGA (blood pool) scanning, and nuclear first-pass ventriculography.