Heart & Vascular Institute (Cardiology)

At the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute, the heart & vascular team cares for patients with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions, including:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm: Swelling in the aorta, one of the body’s major arteries
• Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), including atrial fibrillation
• Cardiogenic shock: A medical emergency due to insufficient blood flow to the brain and organs
• Chronic total occlusion: Complete blockage of an artery in the heart
• Congenital heart disease: Structural heart abnormalities that are present at birth
• Coronary artery disease
• Critical limb ischemia: Significant blockages in arteries outside the heart
• Heart disease and stroke risk factors, including hypertension (high blood pressure) and unhealthy cholesterol levels
• Heart failure
• Peripheral vascular disease (peripheral artery disease): Narrowing of blood vessels outside the heart, often in the legs
• Pulmonary hypertension: High blood pressure affecting the lungs
• Restenosis: Narrowing of a heart artery previously treated with angioplasty or stenting
• Structural heart disease, including diseases of the heart valves

To develop an effective treatment plan, the Ochsner team needs an accurate diagnosis. That’s why the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute offers a variety of noninvasive diagnostic options, including:

• Cardiac catheterization: A test where a thin tube is inserted into a blood vessel to check how well your heart is working and to look for blockages
• Cardiac CT: A scan that takes detailed pictures of your heart to check for problems like blockages or other heart issues
• Cardiac MRI: A scan that uses magnets and radio waves to create clear images of your heart to see how it’s working
• Echocardiogram: An ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create pictures of your heart to check its structure and function
• Electrocardiogram: A test that records the electrical activity of your heart to find problems like irregular heartbeats
• Holter monitoring: A small device you wear for 1-2 days to record your heart’s activity and detect irregular heartbeats
• Nuclear stress testing (positron emission tomography testing): A test that uses a small amount of radiation to see how well blood flows to your heart during exercise or stress

The Ochsner team provides advanced cardiac treatment options, ranging from medications to complex surgeries. The heart & vascular services include:

• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Heart failure management
• Heart transplants: One of the few centers in the United States to perform over 1,000 transplants
• Interventional cardiology, including angioplasty, stenting and other nonsurgical treatments
• Management of high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels
• Mechanical circulatory support devices, which help the heart function for patients awaiting a heart transplant or those who aren’t eligible for one
• Medication therapy for cardiac amyloidosis, an accumulation of abnormal proteins in the heart
• Pediatric cardiology and pediatric heart transplant
• Percutaneous coronary intervention, a type of stenting, for chronic total occlusion
• Procedures to treat aortic disease
• RADIANCE Clinical Trial Program
• Treatment for arrhythmias, including medications, implantable devices and surgery
• Treatment for congenital heart disease in adults and children, including cardiac catheterization and surgery
• Valve disease care, including a variety of surgical and minimally invasive treatments
• Vascular and endovascular surgery
• Vascular medicine

Ochsner's consultative cardiology team is led by experienced, highly trained cardiologists, all with a wealth of experience second to none in the region. They use their knowledge and expertise to provide comprehensive cardiovascular services. The consultative cardiology team at Ochsner:

• Work closely with referring physicians to craft personalized care plans
• Manage complex conditions, including congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease and hyperlipidemia
• Provide second opinions for difficult diagnoses
• Collaborate with oncology specialists in the Ochsner Cardio-Oncology Clinic to minimize heart risks during cancer treatment

Consultative cardiology is a key component of the Ochsner Hypertension Digital Medicine Program. Patients with complicated and hard-to-treat high blood pressure often find the solutions they seek at Ochsner. This program utilizes advanced wireless technology to help patients manage and treat high blood pressure.

Under the leadership of Merrill Stewart, MD, a cardiologist at Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Nuclear/cPET team operates one of the most advanced tools in heart care: cardiac PET imaging (cPET).

This specialized nuclear imaging test uses a small amount of radioactive tracer and advanced scanning technology to measure blood flow to the heart muscle. It provides critical insights into how well your heart is functioning and whether blockages in the coronary arteries are limiting blood flow.

Nuclear imaging specialists are often called the “gatekeepers to the cath lab” because their work determines who truly needs a stent or bypass surgery and who can safely avoid an invasive procedure.

Why choose cardiac PET?

• The most accurate noninvasive cardiac test
• It measures the severity of blockages
• It identifies reduced blood flow
• It assesses how much heart muscle is at risk

Not every blockage requires surgery. cPET helps cardiologists make precise decisions, ensuring only blockages that significantly limit blood flow are treated.

What sets this team apart is their dedication to both accuracy and patient care. The Ochsner nuclear imaging team performs rigorous daily quality checks to ensure every scan is reliable. At the same time, they focus on the little things, adjusting pillows, dimming lights, answering questions and easing fears, because they know every scan represents a person waiting for answers. 

Providing top-notch heart care involves a team of experts working together to create personalized treatment plans for each patient. That's why the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute team focuses on having a variety of specialists and subspecialists collaborating to ensure the best care possible.

Ochsner doctors work together at every step of your care journey, whether it's preventing heart issues, managing existing conditions, or handling complex cases that require surgery. Multidisciplinary care takes a variety of forms. The Ochsner Heart & Vascular team has specialized clinics such as the Aortic Center, Vein Clinic, Women’s Cardiovascular Care Clinic and Cardio-Oncology Clinic, that offer multispecialty care tailored to specific needs.

When you visit Ochsner with heart concerns, you'll often start by consulting with a clinical cardiologist. These doctors play a crucial role in coordinating your care, working with your primary physician, managing your heart health and referring you to specialists when needed.

Ochsner's depth of experience and expertise make the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute a leading destination for cardiovascular care, including heart transplants. Ochsner is one of a small number of institutions in the U.S. to have performed more than 1,000 transplants. In addition, Ochsner has performed more than 2,000 transcatheter aortic valve replacements, and Ochsner has the region’s largest comprehensive center for management of arrhythmias.

• U.S. News & World Report named Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans a “High Performing” hospital for 2025-2026 in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart arrhythmia, heart attack, heart bypass surgery, congestive heart failure, pacemaker implantation and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
• The American College of Cardiology awarded the John Ochsner Heart & Vascular Institute its Transcatheter Valve Certification and Electrophysiology Accreditation.
• Ochsner Health is the first in Louisiana to use Volta’s AI technology for atrial fibrillation (AFib) treatment, enhancing precision in catheter ablation procedures and improving patient outcomes.
• Ochsner Health has earned the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines® Resuscitation Gold Adult award at multiple hospitals across the Gulf South, recognizing our commitment to following the latest, science-based protocols that help save lives and improve outcomes for cardiac patients.

About PowerShare

PowerShare is a secure image-sharing platform that allows Imaging facilities, hospitals, and referring providers to easily upload and share patients' medical images with Ochsner providers.

How to upload images to Ochsner Health using PowerShare

If you have never accessed PowerShare before, simply visit the PowerShare website and follow the instructions below for a fast way to share your patient's images with us.

View the instructions

If you have additional questions or issues, please contact the PowerShare support at 1-866-809-4746.

"The technology Ochsner has to do that procedure (a stenting procedure) and do it that well is unbelievable. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else getting that procedure done and coming out the way I did. It's just amazing" - Adam M., cardiology patient

"How do I feel about my future now that I'm all patched up? I feel great. I feel like conquering the world again. The care team was just on the ball, out of sight. I recommend Ochsner to anyone." - Rickie M., cardiac bypass surgery patient

Heart failure and LVAD patient Dale R. is living his best life again after receiving a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), a surgically implanted device that helps the heart pump blood. Dale's wife, Suzanne, says the referring cardiologist, "saved his life by sending him to Ochsner."

"I'm so thankful. I'm very thankful. They're the best doctors in the world to me." - Nelda S., cardiology patient

“I had no idea when I accepted this job that my new employer, Ochsner Health, would end up saving my life. Gratitude is essential—for skilled clinicians, supportive loved ones and the gift of another sunrise." - Kelly H., cardiology patient

Cardiovascular virtual visits are available when an in-person visit is not necessary.

Cardiologists diagnose and treat conditions that affect the heart. Vascular physicians diagnose and treat conditions of the blood vessels outside the heart.

Cardiologists can recommend a variety of healthy lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking, following a heart-healthy eating plan, increasing physical activity, and getting to and maintaining a healthy weight. For some people, blood pressure medication may be necessary to supplement healthy lifestyle changes. Cardiologists can prescribe a variety of medicines to help treat high blood pressure.

Dr. John Ochsner was a world-famous heart surgeon and the son of Dr. Alton Ochsner, one of the founders of Ochsner Health. Over his incredible career, Dr. Ochsner performed more than 12,000 surgeries and led the Department of Surgery at Ochsner for over 20 years. He made history in 1970 by performing the first heart transplant in the Gulf South and implanted a pacemaker in the youngest patient ever, an 18-hour-old baby. In 1971, he helped expand the hospital by creating a 12-bed coronary care unit, which became the foundation of the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute.

Cardiovascular refers to your heart and blood vessels. It’s the system in your body that pumps blood, carrying oxygen and nutrients to keep you healthy.

Cardiology is the study and care of the heart and blood vessels. Doctors who specialize in this are called cardiologists.

An interventional cardiologist is a heart doctor who uses special tools and procedures, like placing stents or fixing blockages, to treat heart problems without surgery.

You should see a cardiologist if you have chest pain, trouble breathing, a family history of heart problems, or if your doctor thinks you might have a heart condition.