Advanced Cardiovascular Surgical Services for Improved Outcomes

The Heart Hospital at St. Joseph’s Hospital performs the most open-heart surgeries and cardiovascular procedures in the region. Regarded as the region's leading center for cardiovascular care, our specialists offer a complete range of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services. 

The Heart Hospital has a specialized team of board-certified cardiologists and surgeons, cardiac nurses and certified technologists to provide advanced cardiovascular care for both routine and complex heart, vascular and thoracic conditions.

Using advanced cardiovascular surgical techniques, our expert surgeons offer patients the finest treatment available, including:

• Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
• Endoscopic vein harvesting
• Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
• da Vinci robotic thoracic procedures
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
• Minimally invasive procedures
• Off-bypass surgery

Hybrid Operating Suite

The Hybrid Suite is a devoted vascular/cardiothoracic operating suite which allows our physicians to perform minimally invasive interventional procedures and open surgery (if during the procedure it becomes medically necessary) without having to be rushed to the OR.

The types of procedures performed in the Hybrid Suite include:

• Carotid Endarterectomy allows physicians to remove a blockage from the carotid artery
• Repair of Aortic Abdominal Aneurysm: physicians place stents in an enlarged portion of the artery to restore blood flow
• Arteriovenous Fistulas: physicians create a passage way for removing and returning blood flow for dialysis
• Carotid Artery Stenting

da Vinci Robotic Surgical System

The da Vinci Robotic Surgical System allows cardiothoracic surgeons at The Heart Hospital to now remove cancerous tumors with smaller incisions. These minimally invasive options significantly reduce pain and bleeding and increase the speed of recovery time. 

Surgery in the chest cavity can be unnerving, but when necessary it is reassuring that a minimally invasive option may be available for those who a good candidates. This procedure is especially good for high-risk patients or those who wouldn't be able to tolerate open surgery.

The Heart Hospital at St. Joseph's Hospital is the only medical center in the region doing robotic thoracic surgery.

Using small incisions, the highly trained thoracic surgeon can provide a precision treatment with less risk of blood loss, less pain and faster recovery for several thoracic procedures including but not limited to:

• Wedge resection (removing a small portion of lung)
• Lobe resection (removing an entire lobe of a lung)
• Mediastinoscopy (using a scope to examine or biopsy between the lungs to diagnose disease)
• Mediastinal mass resection (removal of a chest mass near the middle of the chest)
• Thoracoscopy (looking inside the chest cavity to examine or biopsy disease) 

Coronary Care Unit for Specialized Cardiovascular Monitoring

The Heart Hospital at St. Joseph’s/Candler provides a specialized Coronary Care Unit (CCU) for cardiac intensive care. Patients that require continuous and careful monitoring after a heart attack, surgery or unstable angina are able to be carefully monitored for any changes or instability of cardiac rhythm and treated with immediate intervention, if needed. This specialized attention from cardiovascular experts at The Heart Hospital improves critical care outcomes.  

Contact Us

For more information, please call 912-819-4100 and ask to speak to someone in The Heart Hospital.