Research

St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center has a long history of innovations which began in the 1860's, including:

• In the 1880's, Roosevelt Hospital was the first hospital in the United States to use rubber gloves in surgery.
• In 1955, surgeons at St. Luke's performed the first open heart bypass procedure in New York City.
• In 1970, cardiologists began experiments which gave the first indication that coronary artery disease reduced blood flow to the heart.

Today, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center is an acknowledged leader in medical research in such areas as heart disease, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. It is a teaching hospital of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and one of the largest voluntary hospitals in the United States. Its involvement in research allows its physicians to offer investigational treatments and medications to patients who wish to explore alternatives to conventional procedures and care. The general medical staff and the house officers of the institution are attuned to the recruitment of patients for clinical trails and have created a research environment which caters to the needs, comfort and convenience of patients.

Cardiac Study Center

The Cardiac Study Center is dedicated to the study of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome. The Center participates in clinical research, privately supported clinical trials and National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported research, and has been involved in the conduct of trials studying a wide variety of cardiac diseases, including:

• myocardial infarction
• unstable angina
• coronary artery disease
• acute cardiovascular intervention
• angioplasty
• heart failure
• hypertension
• ischemic heart disease
• arteriosclerosis
• cardiogenic shock
• myocardial inschemic disorders.

The Cardiac Study Center is led by Judith Hochman, MD, Director of Cardiac Research. Dr. Hochman has functioned as Study Chair for NIH-supported international trials and as a Principal Investigator at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center for more than 15 years. Her Cardiac Study Center staff includes: clinical trials project managers, research nurse coordinators, study coordinators, staff research assistants and up to 10 Volunteer Research Assistants (volunteer pre-medical assistants).

Current Research - Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR) via Percutaneous Approach (PTMR)

Many patients with chronic chest pain are not good candidates for coronary bypass surgery or conventional percutaneous interventions, such as balloon angioplasty and stent placement. An alternative treatment has been developed to relieve symptoms of angina and restore a patient's functional capabilities. This experimental procedure, known as transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) via percutaneous approach (PTMR), is currently under study at St. Luke's.

PTMR is used to relieve the symptoms of angina by creating small holes in areas of the heart muscle to allow oxygen-rich blood to flow into the oxygen-starved heart muscle wall. During PTMR, a tube and laser fiber are inserted into a blood vessel in the leg or the arm and threaded into the left ventricle, the chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the body. The laser fiber creates small holes, or channels, into the muscle. These channels, which are created from the insides of the chamber outward, do not pass all that way through the muscle, yet are still able to increase blood flow and circulation, and thus relieve the symptoms of angina.

This procedure is being offered to qualified candidates at our St. Luke's site. If you are interested in learning more about our current research, please call 800-56HEART.