HCA Houston Healthcare has brought together some of the most talented medical professionals in the nation. Our teams provide collaborative care through partnerships with physicians whose expertise spans the entire spectrum of cardiovascular care. Together, we provide a wide variety of treatment options ranging from minimally invasive interventional procedures to complex cardiovascular surgeries.
Throughout HCA Houston Healthcare, these experienced cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, thoracic surgeons, and vascular surgeons work together to bring cardiovascular care to the Houston communities they serve. We utilize a multidisciplinary approach to providing patient-centered care, which improves patient outcomes, promotes a seamless delivery of care and allows us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients.
Strength of the HCA Healthcare family
HCA Houston Healthcare is part of a comprehensive network of more than 270,000 people across 1,800 care facilities. Our scale enables us to deliver great outcomes for our patients, provide superior nursing care and be a preferred place for physicians to practice medicine.
As one of the largest healthcare systems in Houston, with 11 locations in and around the city, your patients don't have to brave the Texas Medical Center to receive our care. They have access to a comprehensive network of hospitals, emergency centers, and diagnostic imaging facilities across Greater Houston. We also have a regional transfer center that provides one-phone-call access and support for patient transfers into and out of HCA-affiliated facilities as well as access to ground and air transportation within a 150-mile radius.
Advanced technologies and techniques delivered where patients need them most
HCA Healthcare was founded by physicians who believed the best care begins by giving physicians what they need. Our physicians have access to cutting-edge technology that is transforming the way we deliver care.
This includes the first and only minimally invasive treatment option for people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who are at risk of ischemic stroke. The device offers immediate closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA), reducing the risk of stroke and eliminating the need for anti-coagulants.
Before this device was approved, the only minimally invasive option for LAA occlusion patients was a single-closure device that required blood-thinning drugs to heal and additional patient monitoring to ensure closure. HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center is one of the few Houston hospitals to receive early access to the device.
’What makes this device unique is that it provides an alternative for patients who cannot take blood thinners,” said Dr. Pranav Loyalka, a board-certified cardiologist at HCA Houston Healthcare. “We are also participating in an FDA trial where the device is implanted on patients who can tolerate blood-thinners. If effective, patients experiencing AFib will have several viable treatment options.”
Our physicians are also trained in the latest medical approaches, including the convergent procedure—an innovative minimally invasive treatment option for patients diagnosed with long-standing, persistent AFib. This procedure brings together two expert cardiac physicians, an electrophysiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon, who combine their unique skills to use radiofrequency ablation to block irregular electrical signals and restore normal heart rhythm.
“The convergent procedure allows the patient to get a multifaceted, minimally invasive therapy for atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Carlos Encarnacion, a cardiothoracic surgeon with HCA Houston Healthcare. “With collaboration of an electrophysiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon, this procedure allows for ablation of the posterior left atrial wall that might have otherwise been hard to reach ·with traditional treatments. It requires constant collaboration within the cardiovascular service line to provide a comprehensive approach specific to atrial fibrillation.”
HCA Healthcare is at the forefront of groundbreaking research
At HCA Houston Healthcare, one of our goals is to improve the healthcare our patients receive. Through clinical excellence and cutting-edge research, HCA Healthcare Research Institute (HRI) is redefining medical care around the world. We bring together the most innovative medical minds with the most passionate caregivers to offer our patients transformative care and personalized treatment.
HCA Houston Healthcare is currently recruiting patients for several clinical trials, one of which is assessing the safety and effectiveness of a new system for treating patients with severe mitral regurgitation who are categorized as high-risk for surgery or transcatheter treatment options.
”This procedure is a last resort for these patients’ said Dr. Loyalka. ”They are in congestive heart failure, they’re very short of breath and very much debilitated. This is their last option for fixing their valve so they can recover and have their quality of life back. And probably their quantity of life, too, but those are all things that we're proving with this clinical trial:
Participating in research is one of the most powerful things our patients can do. Clinical trials play a critical role in helping our researchers better understand how to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. Without them, these innovative discoveries and breakthroughs wouldn't make it to the patients who need them.
At HCA Houston Healthcare, every day we raise the bar to improve the way healthcare is delivered, not just in our facilities, but everywhere. We're committed to improving more lives in more ways, and above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.