Research Initiatives

Our Heart Center is currently home to 53 Cardiologist/ Electrophysiologists and nine Cardiothoracic Surgeons.  With over 35 years of experience in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, the WakeMed Heart Center physicians are leading research efforts in cutting-edge technology for the treatment of heart and vascular disease. 

• In 2004, WakeMed ranked 3rd of 83 hospitals nationwide in enrollment in the Taxus Drug Eluting Stent Research Trials and ranked first of 50 hospitals nationwide in enrollment in the Taxus Drug Eluting Stent PreRelease Registry. 
• WakeMed Cardiologists are leading research efforts in Carotid Stent Trials and prevention of stroke through insertion of internal closure devices to seal holes in the internal dividing wall in the heart.
• WakeMed Electrophysiologists are active in national research trials such as MADIT II and SCD_HeFT to improve the prevention of Sudden Death in at-risk patients through the use of implantable defibrillators. They also pursue advances in the treatment of Heart Failure through the use of resynchronization pacemakers and defibrillators that improve the pumping ability of the heart. 
• Our Cardiothoracic Surgeons use Endoscopic Vein Harvesting techniques to remove bypass veins from the legs with minimal incisions.  They also perform minimally invasive and off-pump bypass and valve surgeries, and have recently
  implemented the DaVinci robotic device for use with heart surgery.