Heart & Vascular
Saint Michael’s Medical Center has been named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care for five straight years (2018-22) by Healthgrades. For 2022, the hospital also received the Healthgrades Cardiac Care Excellence Award for the fifth year in a row. In addition, the hospital was named in the top 10% in the nation for cardiac surgery, coronary interventional procedures, overall cardiac services (five years in a row), and cardiology services (three years in a row). It was also the recipient of the Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award and the Coronary Intervention Excellence Award.
Healthgrades also named Saint Michael’s a five-star recipient for coronary bypass surgery (six years in a row), valve surgery, coronary interventional procedures, treatment of heart failure (five years in a row) and pacemaker procedures (four years in a row).
For further information, contact us at 862-754-2827.
As the first hospital in New Jersey to successfully complete open heart surgery and to perform coronary bypass and angioplasty procedures, Saint Michael’s continues to lead the way in the 21stcentury with leading-edge diagnostic and treatment services and world-class physician education and training. A pioneer in heart and vascular care, Saint Michael’s excels in caring for the community and teaching the next generation of health care clinicians.
Our Innovation
Saint Michael’s physicians have pioneered a number of new procedures, including minimally invasive heart surgery, valve repair in lieu of valve replacement, endoscopic radial artery and vein harvesting, and ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Other innovations include minimally invasive catheter-based endovascular techniques for the care of abdominal aortic aneurysms, carotid occlusive disease and peripheral vascular disease. The Institute also has one of only two non-invasive vascular laboratories in the state approved for both routine imaging studies and for visceral and abdominal vascular imaging.
These minimally invasive procedures, as performed by the highly skilled cardiovascular surgeons at Saint Michael’s, help prevent limb loss in a large percentage of patients who might otherwise have to sacrifice a foot, hand, arm or leg for a positive surgical result.
In addition, Saint Michael’s is the state’s only approved CREST site, making it just one of only 85 hospitals in North America selected to participate in the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial. The medical center also is part of the international FREEDOM Trial that is studying coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) vs. drug-eluting stent procedures in diabetic patients, having already successfully performed more than 200 of these cutting edge procedures.
Our Experience
Saint Michael’s has the most experience in the region in robotic-assisted cardiovascular surgery. Such procedures combine the higher probability of a complication-free operation with an improved cosmetic result as robotic surgery requires only a two-to-three inch straight-line opening in the chest as opposed to an incision that can be a foot or more long for a standard open-heart surgery with hand-held instruments.
Among the robotic procedures commonly performed at The Heart and Vascular Institute are aortic valve replacement, mitral valve repair and replacement and coronary bypass surgery. Click here for a list of cardiovascular and thoracic surgical services provided at Saint Michael’s.
Two of the robotic surgical procedures at which Saint Michael’s excels are “beating heart surgery,” (also known as “off-pump surgery”) and second (or third) bypass surgeries.
- In beating heart surgery, the heart is not stopped and the operation takes place as the organ continues to work. This reduces complications and the need for blood transfusions and is followed by a much shorter recovery time. The Heart and Vascular Institute has performed many beating-heart surgeries.
- The Institute also performs second and third heart bypass surgeries – with most procedures taking place 10 to 15 years after the original operation – due to Saint Michael’s stellar record of positive patient outcomes and the clinical expertise of its surgical teams.
Our Experts
Saint Michael’s has a dedicated multidisciplinary team of highly trained cardiologists, cardiovascular anesthesiologists, critical-care intensivists, perfusionists, physical assistants, nurse practitioners, registered cardiovascular nurses, respiratory and physical therapists and social workers.
This assembly of health care professionals, together with experienced surgeons, provides the highest level of care in every phase of the patient’s surgery and recovery. Each operation involves at least 30 individuals working in concert to ensure successful patient outcomes.
Saint Michael’s also is an internationally recognized leader in physician education, sponsoring multiple residencies and fellowships each year in cooperation with local colleges and universities.
Our Mission & Legacy
Saint Michael’s has been a leader in heart health in New Jersey for nearly 85 years, opening the state’s first center dedicated to the study and treatment of cardiac disease in 1937 and establishing the first cardiac catheterization lab in New Jersey in 1949. Among the first-in-the-state procedural milestones achieved by Saint Michael’s doctors are:
- 1959: New Jersey’s first open-heart surgery.
- 1967: New Jersey’s first coronary bypass.
- 1981: New Jersey’s first coronary angioplasty.
Saint Michael’s has a zero mortality rate in cardio-logic procedures and a vascular-related amputation rate that has declined each of the past several years.
When your cardiovascular issues demand the services of skilled physicians using state-of-the-art technology, trust the regional health care leaders at Saint Michael’s.
For more information or to schedule procedures, please call 862-754-2827