When it’s your heart, there’s no such thing as a minor heart problem. That’s why it’s so important to strive for a healthy lifestyle and take warning signs seriously: like chest pain, excessive heartburn, shortness of breath, pain or numbness in arm or side and—for women— frequent nausea or dizziness.

At Lancaster General, we take them seriously, too. Our Heart Center emphasizes cardiac education, prevention and early stage treatment.  In fact, the comprehensive program we’ve developed has placed us among America’s 100 Top Hospitals for cardiovascular care.*  And that care should begin at the very beginning—when it’s most effective in controlling and reducing heart problems.

It all starts with you. Keep your doctor informed and insist on the best, most innovative care you can find. Fortunately, you’ll find it close to home.

Watch a video on 25 years of open heart surgery at Lancaster General!   Read more about the history of open heart surgery and meet Gary Ghee, the first person to undergo the surgery at Lancater General in Sept. 1983!

From around the world, critically ill patients come to the Lancaster General Heart Center. Of course, the nature of the illness determines the kind of care needed. We offer a team of dedicated professionals who offer broad expertise.

Over 16,000 open-heart surgeries performed bring a higher rate of success.

Any patient needing open-heart surgery will find more experience and teamwork with the Heart Center than just about anyplace else.

So much experience gives us a survival rate for open-heart surgery that's one of the nation's best. But our charges are among the nation's lowest.

World-class cardiothoracic surgeons, virtually next door.

Here, surgeons with international reputations teach other doctors from all over the U.S. and around the world. After thirteen years of close teamwork, we've perfected the most complicated of cardiothoracic procedures: mitral valve repair, valve replacement (including use of frozen human valves), valve transposition, and minimally invasive coronary bypass.

Our expertise is just as available to our neighbors, an expertise that's generated a rare level of efficiency in over 14,000 open-heart procedures. One-quarter of our critically ill patients come from outside the county.

Not surprisingly, our physicians are chosen to serve on national cardiac committees and the editorial boards of respected cardiovascular journals.

A full range of innovative nonsurgical techniques for heart care.

As the technology of interventional cardiology continues to explode with new ways to heal the heart - balloons, lasers, radio waves - the Heart Center continues to lead the way in applying them.

Balloon angioplasty, balloon valvulopasty, coronary atherectomy, stenting, radio frequency ablation, laser angioplasty and rotational atherectomy.

State-of-the-art technology and highly trained technicians.

The region's first Omniplane Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) transducer first appeared here at the Lancaster General Heart Center. Its just part of our ever-growing arsenal of the latest diagnostic equipment along with thoroughly trained personnel.

Our rehabilitation program: finishing the journey back to health.

A safe return to normalcy is the ultimate goal of the Heart Center. Interventional cardiology and surgery begin the journey and rehabilitation finishes it. And with our Cardiac Rehabilitation program, patients finish strong. We have the largest and most comprehensive program in the region. Each patient gets a customized program where risk factors are assessed and rehabilitation is well-planned. Education, exercise and psychological support for both the patient and the family are followed through until the healing process is complete.