Since 1927, researchers and clinicians at Memorial Herman-Texas Medical Center (TMC) have been bringing groundbreaking discoveries in heart and vascular treatments from the laboratory to the bedside. From research isolating the genetic origins of life-threatening thoracic aortic aneurysms to advanced imaging technology that allows cardiologists to detect heart disease early enough to reverse it, the Heart & Vascular Institute-TMC continues to build upon its strong track record of innovation leading to outstanding outcomes and is poised to become one of the nation’s leading heart and vascular hospitals.

The high-quality care provided by our affiliated physicians, nurses and other clinical staff has earned Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center the distinction of being ranked among the nation’s top 40 hospitals for heart care and heart surgery in U.S. News & World Report’s 2011 Top-Ranked Hospitals for Cardiology & Heart Surgery.

The First Hospital in…

• Texas to perform a cardiac catherization.
• Texas to give patients clot-dissolving drugs to stop heart attacks.
• The world to show that heart disease can be reversed.
• Texas to offer cardiac risk screening designed specifically for women.
• Houston to perform minimally invasive surgery to correct atrial fibrillation.
• Houston to establish a dedicated chest pain center.
• Houston to start a percutaneous mitral valve repair program.
• The United States to provide a septal-coiling-for-hypertrophic-obstructive-cardiomyopathy program
• Texas to perform intracoronary streptokinase (ICSK) procedure for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction or heart attack (STEMI)

Innovations

• Research On Lifestyle Factors Affecting Heart Disease - Advanced treatment of heart disease currently taking place in the CENTURY HEALTH STUDY which is a 5 year clinical research study looking at lifestyle factors, preventive health teaching and advanced heart imaging for treating and preventing coronary heart disease. Simple measures such as healthy eating, weight control, and physical fitness markedly reduce heart attacks. We believe that comprehensive program supporting these healthy lifestyles in addition to careful medications and invasive procedures when only absolutely necessary will be most effective in treating and preventing heart disease.
• Less Invasive Mitral Valve Repair - We are the only hospital in Houston that offers percutaneuso mitral valve repair utilizing the Evalve device.  This less-invasive mitral valve repair therapy is adapted from the open surgical double-orifice technique, and increases the options for select MR patients.  The procedure may reduce the symptoms of heart failure and may improve quality of life. Memorial Hermann is offering access to this innovative technology through the REALISM trial.
• Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular Valve Repair – We were the only hospital in Houston and one of three in Texas chosen to participate in the nationwide Endovascular Valve Edge-to-Edge Repair Study, or EVEREST II, investigating the minimally invasive Evalve® Cardiovascular Valve Repair System for the treatment of mitral regurgitation (MR). Results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
• Less invasive Valve Replacement – Our cardiologists and cardiac surgeons have been chosen to be the only Houston site for the PARTNERS II trial which will allow them to replace the diseases aortic value without open heart surgery.
• Non-Surgical Options via Valvuloplasty - Through a new use of valvuloplasty – insertion of a special balloon into a narrowed mitral valve – interventional cardiologists may delay surgery in mitral stenosis patients for eight to 10 years.
• Time Saving Heart Attack Treatments - Our PATCAR protocol speeds up the time in which heart attack patients receive lifesaving thrombolytic drugs, making us one of the city’s top hospitals in door-to-balloon times and under the Joint Commission standard of 90 minutes.
• Tandem Heart Left Ventricle Assist Device - We’re one of 40 clinical sites in the U.S. for the trial of the Tandem Heart Left Ventricle Assist Device, which provides circulatory support during high-risk coronary procedures, decreasing stress on a damaged heart.
• Minimally Invasive Maze Surgery - Our innovative use of minimally invasive maze surgery has a high success rate in stopping atrial fibrillation, allowing patients to return to work in a few days, compared to four to six weeks for the traditional open-heart maze procedure.
• Weatherhead PET Imaging Center at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston – This center, affiliated with the Heart & Vascular Institute - TMC, developed the first PET scanner capable of imaging the entire heart.
• Treatment for Refractory Congestive Heart Failure – We offer atrial synchronized biventricular pacemaker therapy or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), an innovative new treatment for patients with refractory congestive heart failure.
• Minimally Invasive Valve Program – This program is unique in Houston in its primary focus on less-invasive approaches to valve surgery.
• Thoracic Abdominal Aneurysm (TAA) Repair – Surgical methods used by our team since 1992 have dramatically reduced the incidence of paralysis following TAA repair from 15 percent to less than 3 percent.
• Decreased Stress on a Damaged Hearts - We’re one of 40 clinical sites in the U.S. for the trial of the Tandem Heart Left Ventricle Assist Device, which provides circulatory support during high-risk coronary procedures, decreasing stress on a damaged heart.
• Advanced Heart Attack Care – Memorial Hermann is a leader in developing new treatments for heart attack (Acute MI or STEMI) for over 30 years.  Our cardiologists have recently demonstrated the superiority of beginning heart attack treatments at their home, place of business, etc. utilizing clot dissolving drugs by the paramedics.