Without Missing a Beat
The Heart Center Marks Second Anniversary

Now entering its third year, The Heart Center at Indian River Medical Center has amassed an impressive record.

In addition to open-heart surgery, The Heart Center performs numerous advanced cardiac and thoracic procedures. Since November 2006, when The Heart Center opened, Drs. Cary L. Stowe and Mark A. Malias have performed more than 1,000 surgeries, including over 400 cardiac, 130 thoracic, and 500 cardiovascular-related surgeries.

Backed by these impressive statistics, The Heart Center was featured in the Duke Heart Center 2008 Report, which details successes at Duke’s four cardiovascular program development sites. The Heart Center is the only Duke affiliate in Florida, and the only one outside of the Carolinas.

“The Heart Center’s surgical results beat the national average in every category – a significant accomplishment considering our patients are generally older and more complex than most centers’ patients,” Dr. Cary L. Stowe, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Services, wrote in a letter accompanying the Duke report.

The Heart Center exceeded expectations in every category, as benchmarked against the world’s largest database of cardiothoracic surgeries complied by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Ranked as one of the top 10 percent of cardiac surgery programs in the region, The Heart Center continues to grow as it enters its third year.

"While hospitals with cardiac surgery programs north and south of us have seen a decline in the number of coronary artery bypass surgeries, IRMC has shown an 11 percent growth in volume, reaching an astonishing 90 percent market share locally."