Cardiac Services

When you come to Roper St. Francis Healthcare for cardiac treatment, you can expect:

• A focus on your comfort and safety. Our team will make sure your procedure is done safely, professionally and quickly, so you can get back to doing what you love.
• Personalized treatment. Our team takes the time to get to know you, so we can tailor a treatment plan that fits your individual needs.
• The latest evidence-based therapies. This includes state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs and electrophysiology labs.

We have experience treating all types of cardiac conditions, including:

• Congenital heart defects
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart attacks
• Heart failure
• Heart rhythm conditions, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• Structural heart conditions, such as heart valve disease

Our team offers a full range of heart surgeries at Roper Hospital, including the latest minimally invasive procedures. Some of the surgeries we offer include:

• Atrial septal defect closure
• Coronary artery bypass
• Device implants for heart rhythm conditions, including pacemakers and Watchman devices
• Electrophysiology treatments for heart rhythm conditions, such as ablation and convergent procedures
• High-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
• Mitral valve repairs with MitraClip
• Patient foramen ovale (PFO) closure
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

Cardiac catheterization labs

We have access to advanced cardiac catheterization labs run by a highly experienced team. Our team members average more than 14 years of experience in a cardiac catheterization lab.

These labs allow us to offer the latest catheter-based tests and treatments. During these procedures, the team places a catheter in an artery to access your heart or a blockage. Then, interventional cardiologists insert small tools into the catheter to remove blockages or repair tissue. The team also uses the lab’s detailed imaging to help guide the catheter and tools.

Whenever possible, our team accesses arteries through the wrist instead of the groin. This helps make sure you can get up and move soon after the procedure, improving recovery time.

Cardiac catheterization labs also provide more precise and effective treatments with less radiation and faster treatment times. The average procedure time in our labs is 50 minutes.

Cardiac testing

We may recommend cardiac testing to help us determine the best treatment for you. Our team has access to the latest testing options and technology, including:

• Cardiac angiography
• Cardiac CT scans
• Cardiac mapping
• Cardiac MRIs
• Echocardiograms
• Fractional flow reserve (FFR)
• Intravascular ultrasounds
• Stress tests and stress echocardiograms

Cardiac rehabilitation

After treatment or surgery, our team provides comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation. This outpatient program can help you get back to everyday life and the activities you love. It includes supervised exercise, health education, nutrition counseling and more.

Our team also provides health and wellness services to help reduce risk for patients with heart disease. These services include guided exercise programs, nutrition counseling, health coaching, diabetes education and more.

Clinical trials

Our team is involved with multiple research studies and clinical trials for new cardiac treatments. This gives our patients access to cutting-edge therapies without having to travel outside the Lowcountry.

In particular, we’ve been active in a trial testing a new device to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib). This device would provide a new option for patients with this condition who can’t take blood thinners to prevent a stroke.

If we think you may be a good candidate for an open clinical trial, we’ll help arrange referrals to the program coordinator.

We have 13 highly experienced interventional cardiologists — each one averages more than 17 years of experience in the field. Our interventional cardiologists also have different backgrounds and expertise, which means we’ll be able to find the right doctor and treatment for your specific condition.

Our team also includes nurses, patient care techs, respiratory therapists and anesthesiologists who all specialize in cardiac care. The majority of our nurses are also certified in a specialty area, such as critical care or progressive care.