Thriving.  Heart Services at Lakeland Regional

A higher quality of cardiac care for a higher quality of life.

At Lakeland Regional Medical Center, you'll find superior care for a wider range of cardiac services. As the most established heart program in Polk County, no one offers you more knowledge, more innovation or more expertise.

As first in the region to perform open heart surgery, Lakeland Regional Medical Center's more than 30 years of experience is unmatched locally. In addition, Lakeland Regional was first to offer leading advances in treatment like atherectomy and stenting, including drug-eluting stents. That commitment to bringing state-of-the-art procedures to the area continues today.

LRMC's cardiac surgery program has been awarded the highest possible distinction as determined by the Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. The STS registry is the largest single-specialty database in the country, with over 800 participating institutions and over three million patient records.

The STS recently developed a comprehensive rating system that allows for comparisons regarding the quality of cardiac surgery among hospitals across the country. In the current analysis of national data covering the 2007 calendar year, the cardiac surgery performance of LRMC was determined to satisfy the requirements of the highest quality tier, thereby earning an STS 3 Star rating. Only 12% of hospitals in the country achieved this 3 Star rating status.

The STS rating system evaluates the following data to determine a program's overall performance: avoidance of mortality, avoidance of major complications, use of arteries as bypass grafts, and assuring that all the appropriate (evidence-based) medications are given pre- and post- operatively.

Meet our Cardiologists
Meet our CV Surgeons

Diagnostics and Interventional Cardiology

Over 70 million Americans have heart disease. Through the aid of sophisticated diagnostics and interventional procedures, LRMC's Heart Center is improving the lives of patients with heart disease like never before.

A few of the procedures we offer include:

Innovative Treatments

LRMC has long been on the forefront of cardiac care. As the first in the area to bring you open-heart procedures and robotic surgery, LRMC offers treatment comparable to leading heart centers across the country. Which means you'll often find procedures here that aren't available at other places.

Some of the procedures available are:

Superior Equipment and Facilities

When you're faced with life-threatening heart problems, don't settle for anything less than the most progressive cardiac services. From our emergency department to our catheterization labs, to our sophisticated OR suites and Coronary Care Unit, patients at LRMC receive state-of-the art cardiac technologies that go unmatched in our area. And because we can house a bigger heart program, we're able to bring you better services, resulting in the best possible care.

Following are a few of the ways we bring you outstanding care:

  • More OR suites than other area hospitals
  • Most catheterization labs in Polk County
  • More than 9,000 cardiac procedures annually
  • Most advanced equipment
     

Education & Rehabilitation

Whether you're at risk for heart disease or have already experienced a significant episode, we're focused on keeping your heart healthy for the long run. We offer a variety of community seminars and classes aimed at achieving better heart health, whether it's through smoking cessation or eating more wisely. For patients admitted to our hospital, we provide phase I cardiac rehabilitation. Under the guidance of our rehabilitation team, this program gives patients the knowledge and tools necessary to better manage and modify lifestyle, such as nutrition and exercise.

  • Ongoing community seminars and classes
  • Coordinated exercise, diet and education program
  • Supervised by cardiac doctors, nurses, therapists & dietitians
  • In-patient education via LRMC-TV On Demand
  • Staff encouragement and support

Most Experienced Staff

When considering heart care, also consider who's providing it. Our services are delivered by leading, board-certified cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologists and specialty-trained cardiac nurses, along with other multidisciplinary heart specialists. Heart experts who perform more than 9,000 procedures annually and have more combined years of experience and expertise than any other hospital in our area. Which means that here, you'll receive the highest level of cardiac care for a wider range of services.

With such technology, skill and experience, it's no wonder LRMC's heart program is thriving. And so are our patients. For a free physician referral, call 863-682-LRMC (5762).

For valuable information about heart health, visit the American Heart Association.

For the latest heart related news headlines, please visit the heart disease center at Health Vision.