Heart Care

Heart Care

As an academic health system, our cardiologists, heart specialists and heart surgeons have advanced training in heart disease, conduct research and use a team approach to manage and treat heart conditions. Plus, we are teaching and training the next generation of physicians. Our collective experience in treating thousands of people with heart disease ensures you receive the best care, close to home.

Our team is made up of nationally renowned cardiothoracic surgeons and cardiologists, all performing the full spectrum of invasive, non-invasive and surgical procedures. Using the most sophisticated equipment and techniques to diagnose, manage and treat heart and vascular disease, this collaborative team is among the most highly touted in the region.

UofL Health has been a leader in heart care for decades and has performed many heart-care firsts. The world's first and second AbioCor Implantable Replacement Hearts were implanted by our UofL Health team. Our team is also responsible for the world's first successful heart transplant following the use of a thoracic ventricular assist device. In addition, our surgical teams were the first in Kentucky to perform open-heart surgery, heart transplant and implantation of the HeartMate II ventricular assist device. We were also the first in the state to offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital provides the UofL Health heart care expertise close to home so you can get the care your heart deserves.

Cardiology

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Each year, more than 10,000 people lose their lives to cardiovascular disease, but the pioneering health care professionals at UofL Physicians – Cardiology Associates are working to reverse those trends and help you and your loved ones live longer, healthier lives.

Our cardiology practice takes pride in being able to offer you some of the most advanced treatments available, with a wide range of procedures. Our cardiology providers are dedicated to using their knowledge, skill and experience to improve the quality of your heart health. We treat heart or cardiovascular disease, along with:

Coronary artery disease
Heart failure
Arrythmias (heart rhythm problems)
Heart valve problems (narrowing or leaks of the valves)
Heart infections
Congenital heart defects
Heart tumors

STEMI Network and Cardiac Catheterization Lab

While a heart attack patient is still on the way to the hospital, UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital physicians can get the vital data they need to make a diagnosis. If the heart attack requires intervention, we can activate our cardiac team immediately, allowing us to provide lifesaving care faster than ever before. It’s all possible because of the STEMI network between Mary & Elizabeth Hospital and our regional emergency medicine systems (EMS) providers. It ensures the area’s quickest access to care that can stop a heart attack in progress.

STEMI is an acronym meaning “ST segment elevation myocardial infarction,” which is a type of severe heart attack. While all heart attacks are serious, those considered a STEMI—which involves a significant artery blockage—require the quickest treatment. Because of the significant blockage, STEMI heart attacks cause rapid loss of heart muscle that cannot be regenerated. In these situations, time saved is heart muscle saved.

Mary & Elizabeth Hospital works with regional EMS to provide the fastest access to lifesaving care through our STEMI network. Through the network, our emergency department receives EKG results transmitted wirelessly by EMS providers when they suspect that a patient is having a STEMI. Once the emergency department receives the patient’s EKG and a significant blockage is suspected, the emergency physician will activate the cardiac catheterization lab (cath lab) team. When EMS arrives at Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, hospital staff transport the patient directly to the cath lab, allowing physicians to clear the blockage sooner. For patients with a heart attack or a complete blockage of the coronary artery, this ensures the fastest access to lifesaving care.

Diagnostic Cardiology and Vascular Care

Patients at UofL Health – Mary & Elizabeth Hospital have access to comprehensive diagnostic procedures used in the diagnosis and treatment of heart-related conditions. These include: