Services & Conditions Heart and Vascular Institute Treatment

Cardiovascular Treatment

Heart and Vascular Expertise When You Need It Most

Medical conditions of the heart and vascular system require immediate attention. You may not know you have a cardiovascular condition unless a doctor diagnoses you or until you have a serious event like a heart attack or stroke. You may be able to manage your condition with medications or lifestyle changes. In many cases, you’ll need the expertise of a surgeon and a personal treatment plan to restore your quality of life.

Cardiovascular Treatment You Trust

University Health System’s cardiovascular team is the only one of its kind in South Texas. Our team consists of emergency department physicians, interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons, nurses and cardiovascular technologists. We provide comprehensive heart and vascular care – including testing and diagnosis, nonsurgical treatments, minimally invasive procedures and complex interventional heart surgeries using state-of-the-art technologies.

Our highly-skilled cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are available 24/7 to provide advanced cardiovascular treatments when you or a family member needs immediate help. Whether it’s a planned surgery or an unexpected event, we’re here to perform life-saving and life-extending treatments, including:

Nonsurgical Treatment

We’re proud to be at the forefront of heart care. Our goal is to use less invasive, nonsurgical treatments when possible. For example, we perform left atrial appendage closures using the LARIAT® procedure, and when needed, our cardiologists are highly skilled at implanting the WATCHMAN Device to help patients who have atrial fibrillation (AFib). Both are nonsurgical treatments that help reduce stroke risk in patients with AFib who can’t take blood-thinning medications. We provide many leading-edge procedures. These are just two examples of the types of technology we use to help our adult and pediatric heart patients.

Every year, we perform hundreds of heart catheter procedures. We enable men, women and children to resume their normal activities and restore them to a better quality of life. Many patients are helped with various types of minimally invasive, catheter ablation procedures for: atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia and other complex arrhythmias. We also extract a number of arrhythmia devices.

From ablations and angioplasty to stenting and catheterization, you’re in expert hands and have the advantage of accessing the latest technology dedicated to delivering superior cardiovascular care.

Surgical Treatment

Cardiologists, interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons from UT Health San Antonio bring their surgical expertise to the Heart and Vascular Institute and the Heart Valve Clinic.

Our surgeons are known for their constant pursuit of the latest techniques and technology in heart care. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is the latest example of this pioneering spirit. This surgical option was developed for patients with aortic stenosis who have few alternatives to alleviate their symptoms.

We’ve also built a strong partnership with UT Health San Antonio’s Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery to deliver the most advanced endovascular techniques, as well as traditional vascular treatment options.

Cardiac Catheterization: What to Expect

Clinical Trials

Some of our patients travel a long distance to access the latest clinical trials in cardiology. Our team of cardiologists at the Heart and Vascular Institute are constantly researching and connecting to other medical professionals throughout the country to assure our continued ability to offer our patients the very best and most recent treatment options available in cardiovascular medicine.