CARDIAC, AORTIC
AND MITRAL VALVE
SURGERY
UHealth's Cardiac Surgery team, led by Dr. Joseph Lamelas, is committed to delivering excellence in minimally invasive approaches to cardiac surgery. As an emblem of our dedication to saving lives, we're proud to be among an elite group of hospitals to have received the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award, as designated by the American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation. In addition, UHealth Cardiac Surgery has earned maximum star ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for mitral valve repair and replacement and aortic valve replacement.
Dr. Lamelas has performed more than 17,000 cardiac surgeries, 7,000 of which employed the minimally invasive approach he pioneered for valve repair and replacement known as the “Miami Method.” Dr. Lamelas has also designed and developed innovative techniques, concepts and instruments that have advanced the field of cardiac surgery. Additionally, he has trained more than 1,000 surgeons from around the world in advanced and innovative surgical techniques.
Our team is highly trained in all aspects of cardiac surgery and is recognized as being among those achieving the nation's highest survival rates in cardiac surgery.
Why Choose UHealth?
A multidisciplinary approach. Our world-renowned surgeons combine their experience and expertise to develop a cardiac care plan for each patient.
Academic-based medicine. Our expert team not only utilizes the latest surgical methods; as an academic-based surgery program, they develop them.
OUR EXPERT
JOSEPH LAMELAS, M.D.
Chief, Division of
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Professor of Surgery
The Miami Method. Developed by Joseph Lamelas, M.D., this minimally invasive procedure reduces recovery time and leads to better outcomes.
Treatments
The UHealth team specializes in the full spectrum of leading-edge minimally invasive procedures, treatments and therapies, including:
AORTIC DISSECTION AND ANEURYSM SURGERY
Our cardiac surgeons perform advanced surgeries on the aorta (the artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body) to treat valve problems or aortic aneurysms (weak spots in the wall of the aorta).
ADULT CONGENITAL SURGERY
Some congenital heart defects may not be diagnosed until you are an adult. Our expert cardiac surgeons can repair these heart defects.
COMPLEX VALVE REPAIR AND RECONSTRUCTION
Our expert cardiac surgeons use advanced techniques to repair and reconstruct heart valves, even in the most difficult cases.
CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT (CABG)
In this surgery, your surgeon takes an artery or vein from another part of your body and grafts (moves) it over a blocked artery in your heart, improving blood flow and preventing a heart attack.
SURGERY OF THE ASCENDING OR DESCENDING AORTA
During minimally invasive surgeries, our surgeons can repair aneurysms (weak areas) in the walls of the aorta, preventing a life-threatening aneurysm rupture.
HYBRID CORONARY REVASCULARIZATION
In this specialized procedure, surgeons and interventional cardiologists work together to improve blood flow to the heart using stents (tiny tubes), a minimally invasive procedure and CABG.
HYBRID AORTIC SURGERY
Hybrid aortic surgeries use both minimally invasive and open procedures to repair aortic aneurysms, giving high-risk patients more treatment options.
LEFT VENTRICULAR REMODELING
When your left ventricle (a chamber of the heart) is damaged by a health condition, our physicians can use advanced procedures to reshape the ventricle and improve its ability to pump blood.
MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT (MCS)
If your heart cannot pump blood or you are undergoing a surgery in which your heart must be stopped, we use advanced MCS to keep your blood flowing through your body.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE HEART SURGERY
Our surgeons perform many different minimally invasive heart surgeries that have fewer risks and faster recoveries than open heart surgeries.
MYOTOMY AND MYECTOMY
During these surgical procedures, your cardiothoracic surgeon will remove or cut part of your heart muscle to help improve your heart’s ability to pump blood.
REOPERATIVE AORTIC OR HEART SURGERY
Because some heart conditions can continue to worsen even after heart surgery, our surgeons provide specialized reoperative (repeat) procedures to improve your quality of life.