Our team approach to care

At the core of our program is a multidisciplinary approach, where specialists from different fields collaborate to deliver comprehensive care. Our teams consist of:

• Cardiologists
• Interventional cardiologists
• Cardiothoracic surgeons
• Cardiac electrophysiologists
• Advanced practice providers
• Pulmonary critical care internists
• Dietitians
• Social workers
• Pharmacists
• Left ventricular assist device and transplant coordinators
• Physical therapists

This diverse group of professionals ensures that all aspects of a patient’s condition and care are addressed, resulting in a holistic approach to managing heart failure.

Our services

At UTHealth Houston, we offer a wide range of services designed to address the unique needs of patients dealing with advanced heart failure and related conditions. Our services include:

• Comprehensive evaluation: Thorough assessment and diagnosis to create tailored treatment plans.
• Advanced heart failure management: Innovative medical therapies for heart failure management.
• Heart transplantation: One of the key aspects of our program is our expertise in heart transplantation. For patients who are deemed suitable candidates for heart transplantation, we offer a thorough evaluation process to determine eligibility and ensure the best possible match for a donor heart. Our experienced transplant coordinators guide patients through the entire transplantation journey, providing support and education at every step.
• Left-ventricular assist devices: In cases where heart transplantation may not be immediately available or suitable, our program also specializes in the use of left ventricular assist devices. Left ventricular assist devices are mechanical devices that help the heart pump blood and can serve as a bridge to transplantation or as a long-term treatment option. Our team of experts is skilled in the implantation and management of left ventricular assist devices, ensuring optimal function and patient well-being.
• Urgent support: To ensure timely access to our specialized care, we have implemented a spoke-hub distribution model. This model enables us to receive critically ill patients in cardiogenic shock from community hospitals. Through a series of spokes connecting these outlying hospitals to our central hub, the Center for Advanced Cardiopulmonary Therapies and Transplantation provides urgent evaluations for heart transplant and left ventricular assist device placement. To facilitate rapid transfers, we have the support of Memorial Hermann Life Flight, the only hospital-based air ambulance service in Houston and its surrounding communities.
• Patient and family support: Comprehensive support for patients and their families throughout their journey.

Conditions we treat

Our program specializes in managing a spectrum of cardiac conditions, including but not limited to:

• Advanced heart failure
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy
• Myocarditis
• Ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Inherited cardiac conditions
• Post-transplant Care

Treatment options

We offer a wide array of treatment options to meet the unique needs of our patients, including:

• Pharmacological therapies: Medications tailored to manage heart failure.
• Heart transplantation: Life-saving transplantation procedures.
• Left ventricular assist devices: Mechanical support systems for the heart.
• Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT): An advanced pacing therapy for select patients.
• Clinical trials: Access to cutting-edge research and innovative therapies.

Why choose our program: The UTHealth Houston advantage

The Advanced Heart Failure, Heart Transplantation, and Left Ventricular Assist Devices program is committed to providing the highest level of care and support to patients facing advanced heart failure. By combining our expertise, advanced technologies, and a patient-centered approach, we strive to improve the quality of life and outcomes for individuals with advanced heart failure.

With more than 1,100 patients supported with ECMO, we have been recognized by the Excellence in Life Support Organization (ELSO) Platinum Level Center of Excellence Award for excellence in life support highlights programs that set the highest standards in ECMO worldwide. This designation is granted to extracorporeal life support programs that stand out for their exceptional processes, procedures, benchmarking and systems designed to ensure the utmost quality in care. To earn this recognition, our center demonstrated a profound commitment to quality care by exceeding the rigorous criteria set forth by ELSO. Our program has consistently received this award since 2020.