What is STEMI?
STEMI (ST segment elevation myocardial infarction) is a term used by cardiologists to describe what most people refer to simply as a “heart attack.” Our goal is to treat heart attacks within 80 minutes. The amount of time between a patient’s arrival in the Emergency Department to the moment treatment begins is crucial to a patient’s recovery. Ninety minutes is the standard recommended by the American College of Cardiology to minimize damage to the heart muscle.
The speed of our dedicated emergency and cardiac response teams is ranked among the best in the country. From the Emergency Department to the Cardiac Cath Lab, our staff is committed to further reducing that response time.
Structural Heart Clinic
Memorial’s Structural Heart Clinic provides patients with complex disorders of the heart and heart valves with multidisciplinary, individualized care.
Structural Heart Clinic Procedures
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). TAVR, which stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, is a procedure in which a catheter is used to insert a replacement valve while the patient’s heart is still beating. The TAVR procedure does not require the chest to be opened and can be completed in less time than open-heart surgery. For most patients, the recovery time is much shorter and carries fewer risks.
- Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR). When mitral valve regurgitation occurs due to the heart valve not closing properly, it can impact daily life. For some patients, a transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) may be a minimally invasive option. MitraClip is an alternative that can effectively repair the mitral valve for patients who cannot undergo open-heart surgery. During this procedure, the care team will make an opening in the femoral vein in the groin threading a guide wire and catheter to the heart. As the guide wire moves into the upper chamber of the heart (left atrium), it is removed, and the clip is placed through the catheter into the atrium. The clip is opened and placed over the mitral valve leaflets. The clip mimics a healthy valve preventing backflow of blood. The catheter is then removed, and the clip remains in place. Most patients return home within two days of having the procedure and feel better immediately.
- WATCHMAN. The WATCHMAN device reduces stroke risk in people with atrial fibrillation. The device is inserted via catheter and seals off the left atrial appendage of the heart, where blood tends to pool and develop clots in patients with atrial fibrillation.