Cardiology
The Department of Cardiology at the Samsung Medical Center provides excellent medical service to patients with cardiovascular diseases. We have the best faculty in Korea, which plays a leading role in the fields of coronary artery diseases, heart failure, valvular heart diseases, arrhythmia, hypertension, aortic diseases and peripheral vascular diseases, and state-of-the-art equipment to provide rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Strong points
1. Imaging Center
We are the first Imaging Center in Asia to have made an international agreement with the Mayo Clinic and are performing advanced and internationalized global research. We provide screening for early cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases, professional medical care in testing for cerebral diseases, and confirmation of disease is done in minimal time through a one-day diagnostic process. We provide accurate diagnosis through up-to-date echocardiography devices and cutting-edge radiologic tests using the latest analytic techniques. Complicated diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and establishment of treatment plans are done through the co-operation of professors and medical personnel from the Departments of Cardiology, Radiology, Thoracic Surgery, and Vascular Surgery. We expect to change the pre-existing paradigm of the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases through the analytic diagnosis of radiologic tests and establishment of comprehensive treatment plans.
2. Coronary Artery Disease Team
Due to the efforts of the Coronary Artery Disease Team at the Samsung Medical Center, the hospital was recognized as the having the lowest mortality rate in 2005, and was rated as a first-class hospital with the most rapid response to and the lowest mortality rate from acute myocardial infarction from 2009 to 2014. Cutting-edge intra-vascular procedures and hybrid vascular operation room (concomitantly performing surgery and stent insertion). The Samsung Medical Center possesses the first hybrid operation room in Korea, which allows concomitant implementation of highly difficult procedures and surgery, with its surgical and cutting-edge angiographic equipment. In this operation room, it is possible to not only treat vascular diseases, but also conduct up-to-date procedures for valvular diseases.
3. Heart Failure Team
The Heart Failure Team at the Samsung Medical Center performs active treatment using the latest techniques such as cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) insertion, left ventricular assist device (LVAD), and cardiac transplantation. We perform 20-25 cases of cardiac transplantation annually and show excellent results despite the fact that 1/3 of the patients have major late-stage heart failure with mechanical circulatory support. We provide novel treatment methods differentiated from other centers in Korea, by leading the field in left ventricular assist device insertion in patients not fit for heart transplantation.
4. Valvular Team
The Valvular Team is made up of physicians from the Departments of Cardiology and Thoracic Surgery and provides accurate diagnosis of valvular diseases through various imaging modalities (echocardiography, three-dimensional CT, MRI) and appropriate treatment methods. It boasts excellent surgical results. We actively perform transcatheter aortic valve insertion for patients with aortic stenosis.
5. Arrhythmia Team
The Arrhythmia Team at the Samsung Medical Center has accumulated the best experience and knowledge since its opening in 1994. It has introduced a one-stop concept to provide rapid and accurate medical care and to place itself as the best institution for arrhythmia treatment. We provide the finest medical service with the latest medical devices, and perform not only radiofrequency catheter ablation for supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmia; we insert permanent pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators to prevent bradycardia and sudden cardiac death; but also conduct cardioversion therapy and left atrial appendage occlusion to prevent stroke. We have introduced a hybrid surgery concept for atrial fibrillation for the first time in Korea, and have changed the paradigm of treatment for atrial fibrillation. We run the nation’s first ventricular arrhythmia clinic for patients with ventricular arrhythmia.
6. Aortic and Peripheral Vascular Team
Representative aortic diseases include aortic aneurysm, in which a portion of the aorta expands like a balloon due to atherosclerosis, and aortic dissection, which is an emergency condition with sudden tearing of the aortic wall. We provide accurate diagnosis and treatment for aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection. In cases where there is suspected impaired blood flow to the vessels of the lower extremities, we perform angiography, vascular ultrasonography, and CT angiography to provide accurate diagnosis, and also perform dilation of the obstructed peripheral vessels with balloon catheterization and stent insertion under local anesthetic which are relatively simple treatment methods to improve blood flow.
7. Prevention and rehabilitation of cardiac diseases
We provide preventive care in controlling risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, not only for patients with cardiac diseases but also for those who do not have them. Also, patients with angina, myocardial infarction, or heart failure can obtain increased survival rates and improved symptoms and quality of life through adequate exercise fit for their status. The Department of Cardiology co-operates with the Sports Medicine Center to run a cardiac rehabilitation program for exercise training for these patients with cardiac diseases.
8. Women's Heart Clinic
The Women’s Heart Clinic is a comprehensive, structured, professional clinic where board-certified women's heart specialists help women suffering from chest pains, respiratory distress and palpitation by providing an early and accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We maintain a close collaboration system between the Cardiovascular Imaging Center and the Departments of Endocrinology and Obstetrics and Gynecology.