The Heart & Vascular Center at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center sets the standard in the fight against heart disease. Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center was the first hospital to perform open-heart surgery and heart catheterization in Acadiana, and has been the regional leader ever since. More importantly, Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center offers excellence in care through the entire healing process: from admitting into our ER, during surgery with a highly-trained team, to recovery, even after discharge through our cardiac rehab program.

Located at:
155 Hospital Drive #201
Lafayette, LA 70503
(337)289-7557

Non-Invasive Cardiac Lab

One of the most complex and critical aspects of treating heart disease occurs in the diagnostic phase. Before any treatment can be prescribed or surgery performed, an accurate diagnosis must be made. This requires cutting-edge technology and training to accurately identify and pinpoint any compromised arteries, blocked vessels or abnormal heart rhythms.

Services include:

• Telemetry Unit – 24-hour coverage of all cardiac patients, including ongoing communication with patient nurses to provide patient condition updates.
• Electrocardiograms (EKG) – 24-hour hospital coverage, providing adult and pediatric EKG’s. This service gives nurses and physicians access to previous and immediate cardiac rhythm interpretations.
• Holter Monitoring – 24-hour monitoring unit that cardiac patients wear to record one-day rhythm strips of patient’s heart activity.
• Heartcards – 30-day monitoring device that cardiac patients carry on their person. Anytime chest discomfort or palpitation occurs, the patient places the device on the chest and records cardiac rhythm activity. Excellent for intermittent occurrences.
• Stress Lab – Outpatient service provided for basic treadmill or advanced “cardiolyte” treadmill stress testing, with technician and cardiologist present.
• Tilt Table Stress Testing – Outpatient service provided for syncopal episode patients. Technician and cardiac nurse are present for testing, which involves flat and 70-degree tilting of patient in intervals.
• Echocardiography – 24-hour inpatient adult and pediatric cardiac ultrasound. State-of-the-art ultrasound intervention, which digitally images the heart’s function and output.
• Vascular Lab – 24-hour inpatient adult and pediatric cardiovascular ultrasound. Ultrasound intervention digitally images the peripheral and deep arterial and venous system. The Vascular Lab is accredited in carotid, upper and lower arterial and venous systems.
• Sonosite – Portable ultrasound unit that provides imaging for surgical procedures. This is efficient for difficult cases.

Catheterization Lab

The Catheterization (Cath) Lab is a highly complex and technical unit where more invasive procedures are performed to diagnose and, if necessary, intervene on blocked or compromised arteries and blood vessels. The most well known of these intervention procedures is the angiogram, where a tiny catheter is threaded through an artery in the leg and up to the heart to better view the state of the coronary arteries.

Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery

With the most experienced cardiac nurses working alongside skilled cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, patients at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center are assured unparalleled precision and care that is so critical during cardiovascular surgical procedures. Every patient benefits from Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center’s experienced team of surgeons, nurses, surgical techs, perfusionists and anesthesiologists. They are also skilled in handling a wide range of cardiac patient profiles, from pediatrics to geriatrics.

After surgery, patients are closely monitored in critical care units, the Intensive Care Unit or nursing units. The hours, and even days, after surgery are sometimes as critical as the procedure itself, which is why the cardiac rehab staff checks on surgery patients after they’ve returned home after. Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center has an uncompromised commitment to be the best. That can only be achieved by offering a high level of skill with years of experience mastered in a team environment.

Surgeons at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center perform many cardiothoracic surgical procedures, including: 

• Coronary artery bypass
• Mitral valve repair/replacement
• Tricuspid valve repair
• Maze procedures to correct atrial fibrillation
• Pacemaker lead placements
• Atrial tumor resections

Inpatient Care

An overnight stay in the hospital is never easy, but having a patient-centered care approach eases the stress on patients and their families. At Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, private rooms, designed to function at every level of care, dramatically reduce patient transfer within the hospital. Twenty-four-hour visitation allows family members to assist in recovery and rehabilitation. Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center also offers comprehensive patient and family education, providing a greater understanding of heart disease, recovery and future home care needs. Abundant communication between physicians, patients and family members is a priority at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, and one of the reasons the hospital scores highly in patient satisfaction ratings.

Quality care sets Ochsner Lafayette General apart, particularly because of the full range of specialists on call at the hospital. In addition to outstanding cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center has pulmonologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, nephrologists and many more specialists on hand should complications arise. Specialized critical care teams, with nurses and respiratory therapists, can take preventative action before a patient becomes critical. The experience Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center offers as Acadiana’s leading heart care provider is key to the outstanding care you can expect to receive.

Coumadin & Infusion Center

The Coumadin Clinic and the Infusion Center are both located inside the Burdin Riehl Center located at 1211 Coolidge Street, across from Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center. The Infusion Center is inside the Ochsner Cancer Center of Acadiana on the first floor, and the Coumadin Clinic is on the second floor. If you have any questions, please call (337) 289-7557.

The comforting Coumadin Clinic provides monitoring, dosing and education for specialty drug therapy such as Warfarin. At the Infusion Center, the knowledgeable staff of nurses administers infusion therapies such as chemotherapy, inotropic therapy, immune globulin therapy and IV (intravenous) antibiotics. Each pod has a large flat-screen TV with personal wireless headphones accessible.