Heart disease kills more than half-a-million Americans every year. But with screenings and early detection, 85% of heart disease cases can be halted or prevented.
Baptist Health Heart Institute unites many of Arkansas’ finest cardiovascular specialists with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools. As a result, we’re providing heart care that is unmatched by any other hospital in the region.
of heart disease and information on heart disease treatment options, as well as a
The First and Only for Adult Heart Transplant
Started in 1989, the Baptist Health Adult Heart Transplant Program is the first and only of its kind in Arkansas. We’ve transplanted more than 170 hearts since the program’s inception, granting us exclusive experience in this vital area of cardiac care.
Our Heart Transplant Team includes cardiovascular specialists, transplant coordinators, transplant social workers, a transplant financial counselor, a dietitian and other support staff that are invaluable to our success. In fact, our transplant survival rate is comparable with any in the nation.
The First for Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs)
Baptist Health Heart Institute was the first hospital in Arkansas for the adult Ventricular Assist Device Program. This groundbreaking technology enables patients to live a normal life while waiting for a heart transplant.
Baptist Health currently offers five different ventricular assist devices (VADs) to meet a patient’s unique needs. The HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS), a mechanical circulatory support device, is intended for use as a bridge to heart transplantation in heart transplant candidates at risk for imminent death for nonreversible left ventricular failure. The HeartMate II LVAS is also indicated for use as Destination Therapy in patients with NYHA class IV end-stage left ventricular failure who have received optimal medical therapy for at least 60 of the last 90 days, have a life expectancy of less than two years, and are not a candidate for heart transplantation.
The First for Therapeutic Hypothermia
Baptist Health Heart Institute is the first in the state to purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment that regulates the core body temperature by precisely cooling and warming cardiac arrest patients to improve their odds of survival. The process of cooling the body can limit potential damage to the brain, tissue, and other organs. After a period of therapeutic hypothermia, typically 12 to 24 hours, the system slowly and accurately rewarms the patient back to normal body temperature.
"This new technology is exciting because it can mean saving the life of a cardiac arrest patient that might not otherwise make it," said David Jones, M.D., interventional cardiologist with Baptist Health. "This technology allows us to regulate body temperature to a degree of precision we've never seen before."