Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Programs and Specialties
at Jersey City Medical Center
Jersey City Medical Center is part of RWJBarnabas Health, the largest and most comprehensive health care system in the state of New Jersey. Our hospital upholds a long tradition of providing expert medical care to communities across the region, from minimally invasive techniques to open-heart procedures.
Our highly respected medical facility exceeds regional benchmarks and acts as a referral center that treats patients who have been transferred from other facilities with escalated medical, surgical and trauma conditions and cases.
Our philosophy includes treating not only the whole patient but also extending guidance to their families. We provide comprehensive and compassionate care using the latest modern technologies and innovations in the field.
Jersey City Medical Center’s multidisciplinary teams of cardiologists, surgeons, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, radiologists and nurses follow evidence-based guidelines and techniques that treat the whole patient. Our medical center has undergone recent expansions to enable us to offer transformative and noninvasive diagnostics and procedures.
Labs Offer Gold Standard in Diagnostic Testing and Treatment
From minimally invasive diagnostic testing to catheter-based procedures, the labs at Jersey City Medical Center offer the latest in modern medical heart care.
Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a thin tube to identify any blocked or narrowed arteries. Our lab is staffed with specialists who conduct lifesaving catheter-based interventions such as emergency angioplasty. Some of our technologies include:
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This revolutionary, minimally invasive surgical procedure was developed to repair damaged aortic valves in patients with severe aortic stenosis, a condition involving the narrowing of the heart valves. The option of undergoing TAVR rather than older, more traditional methods translates to greater success rates and shorter recovery times. We are the only hospital in Hudson County to offer the procedure.
- Patent foramen ovale closure (PFO). This less-invasive procedure involves the placement of a thin catheter to assist in repairing an opening between the upper two chambers of the heart.
- WATCHMAN device. This intuitive device was developed for patients with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem. This minimally invasive procedure provides an alternative to the use of blood thinners and can be performed at our facility.
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT). This technology captures detailed images of coronary plaque and diseases through the use of infrared light.
- Fractional flow reserve - computed tomography (FFR-CT). This exciting procedure offered at Jersey City Medical Center relies on artificial intelligence to provide our physicians with a 3D view of the patient’s arteries without having to rely on an invasive heart procedure.
- CardioMEMS. This remote monitoring platform assists physicians in preventing worsening heart failure, which lowers mortality rates and improves a patient’s quality of life.
Advanced Electrophysiology Lab
Jersey City Medical Center is home to the only electrophysiology lab in Hudson County, offering a wide array of heart, vascular and thoracic screening and treatment options for our patients. Our team of specialists in interventional and structural cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology are pioneers in their fields, accessing the newest equipment, techniques, and devices for diagnosing and treating our heart patients, such as:
- Advanced ablations. Ablation is performed in our lab as a treatment for atrial fibrillation (A-fib) which involves the strategic scarring of portions of the heart. This scarification helps to interrupt faulty electrical signals that are responsible for irregular heartbeats associated with A-fib.
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implants. This is an option for serious cases of heart rhythm abnormalities. A small, battery-powered device is implanted under the skin to monitor heartbeat, detect arrhythmias, and restore normal heart rhythms when necessary.
- Loop recorders. In our lab at Jersey City Medical Center, a loop recorder device can be implanted into a patient’s chest. Once implanted, it can monitor the heart’s electrical signals and provides a download for the doctor to evaluate on an ongoing basis.
Programs and Specialties We Offer
Jersey City Medical Center’s heart, vascular and thoracic programs include:
- Advanced Heart Failure/Cardiomyopathy Program. Adults with cardiomyopathy and heart failure may receive extensive inpatient and outpatient medical services through this leading-edge program. We offer comprehensive and compassionate care combined with progressive medical and technological treatments to help deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.
- Aortic Program. Our experienced vascular and cardiovascular surgeons, nurse navigators, dieticians, genetic counselors and radiologists work together to build a customized treatment program for people suffering from aortic aneurysms, a condition involving a weakened section of the body’s main artery.
- Atrial Fibrillation Center. Using the most sophisticated cardiac diagnostic imaging technologies, therapies and advanced treatments, we treat atrial fibrillation, a condition characterized by an irregular (often rapid) heart rate that results in poor blood flow. Our interventional catheterization lab provides electrophysiology evaluation and ablation to treat atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter to reduce risk of stroke.
- Cardiac Diagnostic Testing. JCMC’s Cardiac Diagnostic Center offers the most advanced technologies and techniques including EKGs, Holter monitors, stress tests, nuclear stress tests, echocardiography, and stress echocardiograms. These procedures serve to detect a variety of cardiovascular conditions and thoracic disorders with precision.
- Cardiac Surgery. Our hospital is staffed by some of the best cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons in New Jersey. We are equipped to diagnose and treat a myriad of cardiac and valve disorders, and have proven experience in minimally invasive techniques as well as open-heart procedures.
- CardioMEMS Cardiac Monitoring Program. This cardiac monitoring program measures pulmonary blood pressure and transmits heart rate data from a patient’s home to their health care providers through the implantation of a miniature wireless monitoring sensor. This FDA-approved device is instrumental in managing heart failure symptoms and can be inserted via a quick outpatient procedure.
- Cardio-Oncology Program. In collaboration with Rutgers Cancer Institute, JCMC offers our patients one of the few cardio-oncology programs in the region. We use advanced imaging, electrophysiology and laboratory evaluations to take proactive steps to detect, monitor and treat cardiac conditions throughout treatment. This care extends into after-therapy as part of a patient’s survivorship plan.
- Heart Disease in Women. Our Heart Disease in Women Program tracks traditional and congenital risk factors for heart disease, and offers diagnostic services, treatment and support services for female patients.
- Heart Rhythm Disorders Program. Our intuitive program leads in providing multi-disciplinary care for patients suffering from irregular heart rhythms, heart palpitations, and rapid heartbeats. Delivered with compassion and care, this valuable program offers an effective roadmap to foster the best possible outcome for every patient.
- Structural Heart Disease Program. The Structural Heart Disease Program at Jersey City Medical Center provides our patients suffering from complex valvular and/or structural heart disease with innovative, multi-specialty care. By presenting options for traditional open-heart procedures and less-invasive methods whenever possible, we can foster successful outcomes for a wide array of conditions. Some of these procedures include transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and WATCHMAN left atrial appendage closure (LAAC).
- Thoracic Surgery Program. Our program harnesses the latest screening and treatment options for disorders of the chest, lung, esophagus, trachea, the lining of the chest known as the pleura, and the middle section of the chest, known as the mediastinum. The nationally recognized thoracic specialists at JCMC pioneer in employing minimally invasive techniques up to the most advanced surgical procedures.
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- Vascular Care. Our team of vascular surgeons and other medical professionals at Jersey City Medical Centerapplies an integrated approach to patients with conditions related to the arteries, blood vessels, capillaries and lymphatic system. With innovation as a guiding principle, we treat our patients with the latest in medical discovery and treatment options for a wide spectrum of vascular conditions. Our Vascular Outpatient Testing Center offers a full range of vascular diagnostic imaging, and we specialize in evaluating aortic aneurisms, renal or mesenteric arterial disease and hemodialysis access-related issues.
Jersey City Medical Center, a part of RWJBarnabas Health, exceeds medical standards in heart, vascular and thoracic screening, prevention and treatment in the nation. Our multidisciplinary teams are here for you and your family in providing the pinnacle in treatment options to Hudson County and beyond.
To make an appointment with one of our heart, vascular and thoracic specialists, request an appointment today.
