Advocate Heart Institute at Advocate Lutheran General
Find a specialistAdvocate Heart Institute at Lutheran General Hospital performs more than 82,000 heart and vascular procedures every year. Our experience translates to better clinical outcomes for you and your heart – outcomes that national experts consistently identify as among the best in the country.
What sets us apart:
- Top doctors: Comprehensive team of cardiologists and heart and vascular surgeons
- Expert detection: Full range of diagnostic tests and tools
- Innovative treatments: The most advanced treatments and specialty programs available
- Advanced diagnostic technology: Access to CT fractional flow reserve, a non-invasive heart test that uses your CT scan to provide a digital 3D model of your coronary arteries to see how much each blockage limits blood flow to your heart
To schedule an appointment, call 800-3-ADVOCATE or find a cardiologist online.
Eight-year-old saves her grandfather:
Krishna's quick thinking saved her favorite playmate, with some help from physicians at Advocate Lutheran's South Asian Cardiovascular Center. ABC 7 News told their story.
Why choose Advocate Lutheran
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)
Conditions we treat
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:
- Abdominal aortic aneurysms
- Aneurysm disease
- Arterial leg ulcers
- AV fistulas, AV grafts, and management of malfunctioning AV access
- Carotid artery disease
- Carotid endarterectomy (surgical treatment of carotid blockage)
- Carotid stenting
- Claudication (pain in legs when walking)
- Gangrene
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Hemodialysis access
- Mesenteric ischemia (blockages in intestinal circulation)
- Pelvic congestion
- Peripheral (arm or leg) aneurysms
- Peripheral vascular disease (blockages in circulation)
- Stroke (CVA)
- Stenosis (heart valve problems)
- Thoracic aneurysms
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- Vein disorders
Advanced services treatments
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
Our cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program gives patients an invaluable physical and emotional resource. The three-phase program consists of monitored exercise and education for patients who have had a recent cardiac event, or have been diagnosed with lung disease. We provide comprehensive, individualized services that help patients regain their strength, reduce risk factors and help prevent future illness. Thousands of patients have benefited from the encouraging, healing environment of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital's Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation program.
Specialty clinics
If you have a very specific heart problem, your doctor may refer you to one of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital's specialized heart clinics:
Patient stories
A physician's personal story:
Dr. David Sheftel, an Advocate Lutheran General Hospital neonatologist, hopes others will learn from his experience with heart disease.
Skin-deep device gives a life-saving jolt to the heart:
Following a heart attack, Edward learned he was at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. His cardiologist at Advocate Lutheran had a solution.
Preventive care for better cardiovascular health
We do more than just treat heart problems after they occur. At the Advocate Heart Institute we also want to help you manage your health to prevent heart problems. With regular screenings and lifestyle changes you can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Find a location near you
Advocate Heart Institute offers convenient locations across Chicago's northern suburbs.
Find an Advocate Heart Institute
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Are you at risk for heart disease?
Knowing your risk factors of heart disease – the leading cause of death in the U.S. – can help you lower your chances of developing it. Our heart health quiz estimates your risk, determines which of your risk factors are controllable and gives you an idea of what to do next based on your results.
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