Your Heart Is in Good Hands: Prevention, Treatment, and Lifesaving Intervention at STHS Heart for Nearly 30 Years

When it comes to cardiovascular health, Rio Grande Valley residents can take heart. South Texas Health System® Heart, one of the country’s first freestanding healthcare facilities dedicated to cardiac care, is right here in your backyard with award-winning services.

We are here for you when every second counts, as in the case of stroke or heart attack. But did you know that we also provide other advanced services that support cardiovascular health, including preventive diagnostics, bariatric surgery, and minimally invasive robotic surgery?

Get to know all we offer, and plan on visiting us when your heart needs some TLC.

FAST, EFFICIENT HEART ATTACK CARE

You may have heard the phrase “time is muscle” regarding heart attack treatment. That’s because with every minute that goes by without medical intervention, the heart is not receiving oxygenated blood, resulting in damage to the muscle.

STHS Heart consistently demonstrates above-average speed in treating heart attack patients with angioplasty, a procedure that helps clear blocked coronary arteries. This speed and efficiency have helped us earn reaccreditation as a Chest Pain Center with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from the American College of Cardiology.

ADVANCED PRIMARY STROKE CENTER CERTIFICATION

The quicker you receive medical treatment for stroke, the better your chances for a positive outcome. With advanced certification as a Primary Stroke Center from The Joint Commission, South Texas Health System Heart offers a 24-hour stroke team and trained Emergency Department personnel.

EMERGENCY SERVICES

As well as specializing in cardiac emergencies, the emergency department at STHS Heart is fully equipped to treat a range of emergency conditions including trauma, infections, problems associated with diabetes, and early intervention for strokes. We are designated as a Level IV Trauma Facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION

Cardiac catheterization procedures help physicians diagnose and treat heart conditions. A long, thin tube is inserted and threaded into an artery and threaded through blood vessels to the heart. Cath lab procedures offered include:

• Intravascular ultrasound

• Pulmonary angiography

• Thrombolytic therapy

• Coronary and peripheral stenting

• Myocardial biopsy

• Temporary and permanent pacemakers

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

We work with patients to identify and manage risk factors for developing heart disease, like high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. We also offer Cardiac Score CT Screening, a noninvasive imaging test to help physicians better understand your risk for heart disease.

CARDIAC REHABILITATION

The Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at STHS Heart helps people with severe heart disease — or those who have recently had a heart-related procedure — improve their health through exercise and education. Our holistic program includes supervised exercise, nutrition counseling, stress management, and emotional support.

SURGERY

From open-heart surgery to minimally invasive procedures, we offer quality solutions for almost any heart condition. We also perform vascular surgery to address disorders of the circulatory system.

ROBOTIC SURGERY

With the da Vinci® Xi® Surgical System, surgeons can operate on a patient via one or more small incisions typically no longer than a centimeter. Robotic surgery can result in faster recovery, less risk of infection, fewer and smaller scars, and shorter hospital stays.*

STHS Heart recently celebrated our 500th robotic surgery. Robotic-assisted surgeries offered here include:

• Hernias (hiatal, incisional, inguinal, umbilical, ventral, spigelian)

• Bariatrics

• Gallbladder removals

• Colorectal (colectomy, colostomy, lower anterior resection)

BARIATRIC WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY

Bariatric surgery can help people lose weight** by reducing the size of the stomach, or through a combination of making the stomach size smaller and re-routing the small intestine to limit calorie absorption.

Weight-loss surgeons offer these options at STHS Heart:

• Laparoscopic gastric bypass

• Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

• Revision surgery (to improve upon the results of a previous weight-loss procedure)

Designated as a fully accredited Bariatric Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, our weight-loss surgery center has demonstrated that surgeons here meet the needs of patients by providing high-quality, patientcentered care.

VASCULAR DISEASE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Early detection is key to managing vascular disease –and STHS Heart offers advanced diagnostic technology to screen for vascular conditions as well as innovative treatments for the full spectrum of vascular disorders.

RECOGNITION & AWARDS

STHS Heart is proud of the multiple awards and designations we’ve achieved, primarily because they reflect our commitment to providing Rio Grande Valley residents with the highest possible quality cardiac care. Among other awards, STHS Heart recently has been honored with the following:

Chest Pain – MI Registry™ Silver Performance Achievement Award. The American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Data Registry® recognized STHS Heart with its 2025 Chest Pain – MI Registry™ Silver Performance Achievement Award for the facility’s success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients.

Named a Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery by Optum (2025). To earn this distinction, bariatric surgery programs must show they provide the gold standard in bariatric surgery care by meeting rigorous criteria, including annual volume of surgeries, certifications, number and experience of surgeons, complications and mortality rate, length of program existence, and multidisciplinary team.

Five-Star Rating for Carotid Surgery from Healthgrades (2025). This achievement places STHS Heart in the upper echelon of hospitals for specialty care nationwide.

When it comes to heart care, we don't miss a beat. Learn more at southtexashealthsystemheart.com

*Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if robotic surgery is right for you.

**Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if weight-loss surgery is right for you.

Physicians are independent practitioners who, with limited exceptions, are not employees or agents of South Texas Health System. The System shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.