Medical advancements in cardiac care and the aging of the American population have rendered an increased number of Americans living with heart disease and significant heart dysfunction. In the U.S. alone, 5 million people have heart disease and more than 300,000 die from the disease each year.
The Montefiore Einstein Center for Advanced Cardiac Therapy offers a uniquely integrated, dual-discipline approach in which cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons team together to provide highly individualized treatment for the highest risk patients with advanced heart disease.
Two Disciplines, One Goal: The Best Possible Patient Outcome
Montefiore Einstein’s integration of cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery supports a dialogue between cardiologists and surgeons to consider each patient’s health status, lifestyle, and needs, and to formulate the best, balanced treatment approach.
Each patient is evaluated and recommended for treatment with one or more of the following approaches:
- Medical therapy, including evaluation for resynchronization therapy with a biventricular pacemaker or defibrillator implantation where appropriate
- Surgery: coronary revascularization, valve surgery, ventricular restoration, and surgery to correct abnormal heart rhythms
- Cardiac assist devices and transplant: depending on the patient’s state of health, Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs), or mechanical heart pumps, are used both as a bridge to transplant (supporting a heart transplant candidate until a donor heart becomes available) and as destination therapy, an alternative to heart transplantation
Montefiore Einstein’s cardiology researchers are currently investigating the potential use of heart pump as a bridge to recovery.
