Cardiology/Cardiac Surgery

Deciding the right treatment for atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) can be treated medically or surgically and a new statement from the Heart Rhythm Society provides evidence-based guidance on when each approach is best. Hugh Calkins, director of the cardiac arrhythmia service and electrophysiology at Hopkins, was the lead author on the guidelines.

Safety guidelines for MRI with ICD
In the past, having an implanted defibrillator or pacemaker meant never again having an MRI. Thanks to a new safety protocol developed at Hopkins, those with ICDs can safely tolerate what is an often lifesaving test. Find out more about the research behind the protocol.

Three-stage surgery for congenital heart defect
Babies with single ventricle malformations may need, on their path to health, a Blalock-Taussig shunt, a Glenn shunt and a Fontan connection. Find out how Hopkins’ cardiac specialists care for these tiny patients from prenatal to beyond toddlerhood.

When medication fails to halt type B aortic dissections
Type B aortic dissection can be medically managed about 70 percent of the time. The Johns Hopkins Hospital is participating in a clinical trial of a surgical solution for the remaining 30 percent.

When conventional valve surgery is too high risk
On a quest to expand options for valve replacement patients, Hopkins cardiac surgeons find inspiration everywhere—from a newly resurrected technique from the past, to the most modern innovation.

Homing in on a woman's heart
The Women's Cardiovascular Health Center at Johns Hopkins was founded on mounting evidence that women's hearts are different than men's. Center founders Nisha Chandra-Strobos and Pamela Ouyang are taking a female-centered approach to research and care.

James's story
One terrifying night, James Cromwell's dinner was interrupted by an arrhythmia that sent him in the emergency room.Watch James and his cardiologist, Saman Nazarian, discuss the discovery and resolution of his irregular heartbeat.

For high-risk heart-transplant patients, hospitals doing the most operations yield better outcomes
Hospitals that do more transplants offer high-risk heart transplant patients better odds for survival. This study by Johns Hopkins researchers attributes a 67 percent difference in the one-year survival rate to transplant center volume.

When a child's heart fails
Seven-year-old Ally Fowler arrived on Hopkins' doorstep with advanced cardiomyopathy and a slim chance at life. Fortunately, the expertise of Hopkins' pediatric heart team helped Ally hold out for a new heart.

Accurate prediction of post-surgery complications in heart graft recipients
At Hopkins, even lab tests collaborate. A pair of tests can nearly perfectly predict blood clots in coronary artery bypass graft patients.

The assist after cardiac surgery
Post-surgery meds can have life-threatening side effects—a fact that deters some surgical candidates. Cardiothoracic surgeon Ashish Shah discovered that cardiac assist devices can sometimes replace these medications.

When opening the carotid is anything but routine
A 74-year-old with diffuse, severe cerebral vascular disease and multiple comorbidities is, by most surgical standards, considered inoperable. But luckily for the patient, Bruce Perler is no standard vascular surgeon.

Virtual valve repair
Virtual planning for multiple outcomes improves surgeons’ ability to prepare themselves—and patients—for cardiac surgery.

Stemming the damage
Researchers in the lab cultivated Bill Beatty’s own stem cells to minimize the damage from his major heart attack. Doctors everywhere—and Beatty himself—are eagerly awaiting the results.

10 tips to lower your blood pressure
Share this printable tip sheet - developed by Hopkins experts - with your older patients who want to lower high blood pressure.