Advocate Heart Institute at Advocate Lutheran General

You will receive individualized, state-of-the-art care – from prevention to diagnosis, to intervention or surgery, to rehabilitation and beyond.

• Advocate Lutheran’s highly-skilled, compassionate team of health care professionals have provided our community with outstanding patient care and nationally recognized outcomes for generations.
• Our vascular surgeons are nationally renowned leaders in vascular surgery and minimally invasive endovascular therapy. Our comprehensive treatment for circulatory disorders is second to none.
• Our $15M cardiac catheterization lab opened in 2016, raising the bar on clinical excellence and prioritizing patient safety, convenience and comfort.
• Our specialty clinics and programs (in adult congenital heart disease, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, cholesterol abnormalities and peripheral vascular disease), as well as our South Asian Cardiovascular Center, reflect our focus on the specific health conditions that affect Chicago and our community.
• And, as a teaching hospital, Lutheran General is on the leading edge of cardiac research and technology.

Awards & recognitions

• 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in 2013: Truven Health Analytics. Selected for providing outstanding care and setting new standards for excellence in healthcare
• Gold Performance Achievement Award winner in 2014, Mission: Lifeline® Action Registry/Get With the Guidelines. For implementing the highest standard of care for heart attack patients
• MIDAS+ Platinum Quality Awards, 2013 and 2014
• Blue Distinction selectee for Cardiac Care: Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Accredited by the International Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Labs (ICAVL)

Our advanced treatments ensure that unique conditions get the individualized attention they deserve.

The expertise of our cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and vascular surgeons covers a wide range of diseases, including:

Our heart doctors combine advanced diagnostics and treatment with state-of-the-art technology. Our team of highly trained cardiovascular experts performs a wide range of procedures and surgeries, including:

• Coronary angioplasty
• Stent placement
• Lead extraction surgery
• Peripheral vascular angioplasty
• Thrombolytic therapy (clot-busting therapy for clots in the lungs) (break)
• Cardiac ablation, through catheterization
• Aneurysm repair
• Coronary artery bypass (open heart surgery)
• Pacemaker implants
• Defibrillator implants
• Heart valve repair and replacement

Our experts also work with Advocate Children’s Hospital specialists to provide multi-disciplinary care to children with congenital heart disease.

Cardiac catheterization lab

The Advocate Heart Institute at Lutheran General Hospital opened our new, $15-million dollar cardiac catheterization lab suite in September, 2016. The new lab provides one of the nation’s most unique, high-tech patient care and recovery experiences; for example, innovative light and sound panels in the recovery bays enable less stressful recuperation and are the first of their kind in North America. And, our radial lounge provides those with radial procedures a comfortable setting to recover.

Features of the new Cardiac Catheterization lab include:

• Better imaging technology to aid physicians during procedures
• Radiation received by the patient during surgery now reduced by 70x
• More efficient, resulting in shorter wait times for patients
• Located directly below the Emergency Department, meaning quicker transport and less heart damage in an emergency

Photo tour: Advocate Lutheran General Hospital's Cardiac Catheterization Lab

Cardiac rehabilitation & aftercare

If you have a very specific heart problem, your doctor may refer you to one of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital's specialized heart clinics:

• Anticoagulation Clinic
• Lipid Clinic
• South Asian Cardiovascular Center
• Vascular Clinic
• Valve Clinic