The Strong Heart & Vascular Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center offers the only comprehensive Heart Failure Program in Upstate New York. The Heart Failure Program includes a multidisciplinary team of board certified physicians, surgeons, and health care professionals to treat individuals with congestive heart failure.
Congestive heart failure means the heart doesn’t pump as well as it should, causing the patient to retain fluids, often leading to swollen legs and ankles and congestion in the lungs. It’s usually caused by a gradual weakening of the heart brought on by various conditions, such as clogged arteries, high blood pressure, a defect in the muscular walls or valves of the heart or another medical condition.
Treatment Options
Every patient and their set of symptoms is different and requires an individualized treatment plan. That’s why, at the Strong Heart and Vascular Center’s Heart Failure Program, all of our patients receive a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine the best possible treatment option.
Often, congestive heart failure is managed through medication, but when this is not effective, there are other interventions and surgical treatments available.
Our services include:
- Electrophysiology/ Arrhythmia Interventions
- Automatic Intracardiac Defibrillators (AICDs)
- Arrhythmia ablation
- Biventricular Resynchronization Therapy: Implantation of a pacemaker type of device which attempts to synchronize the heart’s electrical impulses. This helps the left and right sides of the heart to beat in a more balanced way.
- Ventricular Assist Program
- Artificial heart pumps
- Ventricular assist devices: Devices implanted into the chest cavity to assist the heart to circulate blood. These devices include:
- Thoratec PVAD
- Thoratec IVAD
- HeartMate VE/XVE
- AbioMed
- BioMedicus
- Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure
- Coronary Revascularization for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
- Destination LVAD therapy (for nontransplant eligible patients with end-stage heart failure)
- Left Ventricular Reduction surgery
- High risk Valvular surgery
- Heart Transplantation Program
- Fully integrated Heart Transplantation Program – The Strong Heart and Vascular Center is one of the best cardiac transplant programs in the United States with one-year survival rates greater than 95%. More about our Heart Transplantation Program
Critical Care Cardiac Transport Team
The Heart Failure Program provides a dedicated Critical Care Cardiac Transport Team, available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week, to ease the transport of critical cardiac patients. This is the only team of its kind in New York State.
Critical Care Cardiac Transport Team members include:
- Respiratory therapist
- Perfusionist
- Cardiologist
- Cardiac surgeon
- Critical care nurses
Current Research
As a part of the Center for Cardiovascular Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the Heart Failure Program is working to advance the frontiers of cardiology and cardiac surgery.
By supporting research and education, the program contributes to the development of new technology and the training of physicians from around the world in leading-edge techniques. Our patients profit from this research association, since they have access to the newest available treatments, many times before they are available on a more general basis, both in the region and nationally.
The Heart Failure Program’s current research studies include:
- Long-term cardiac preservation in a dog model utilizing a novel agent and delivery system
- Thoratec TLC-II discharge to home
- Thoratec IVAD cardiac assist device
- Alloimmunization in ventricular assist patients
- Reverse Remodeling in ventricular assist patients
More information about the Center for Cardiovascular Research
Contact Us
For more information on the Heart Failure Program at the Strong Heart and Vascular Center or to refer a patient for a consultation, call us at 585-275-5384. Our mailing address is:
Heart Failure Program
Strong Heart and Vascular Center
601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 679
Rochester, NY 14642