The Heart of AIMS

India is facing an unprecedented epidemic of cardiovascular disease. Projections from the Indian Council of Medical Research indicate that India will be the home for more cardiovascular patients than any other country by the year 2005. It is further projected that by the year 2020 the cardiovascular patients in India will outnumber those in the rest of the world.

Tackling such an epidemic requires incorporation of a well-planned and organised response by the world-wide health care planners and providers. The developed countries have actually reduced the death rate from cardiovascular disease in the last two decades by the wide use of preventive and therapeutic modalities.

The AIMS Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (The Heart Institute) has emerged as the leader in the fight against cardiovascular disorder in the state of Kerala, serving over 10,000 cardiovascular patients in its first two years of operation. The cardiology team consists of a nationally respected group of experienced, dynamic and committed cardiologists capable of providing advanced treatment to a variety of cardiovascular disorders, using state-of-the-art medical technology. The Institute has already been widely recognised as one of the most advanced heart centres in the nation.

Clinical Cardiology

Clinical cardiology services are provided by a team of eight cardiologists and senior cardiology resident doctors. Patients seeking cardiology services are initially evaluated in the general cardiology clinic, where patients with chest pain, valvular heart disease, hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular disorders are screened and assessed by experienced physicians and cardiologists. Patients are then provided with focused care in specialty clinics such as the hypertension clinic, pacemaker and arrhythmia clinic, lipid clinic, valve clinic and coronary clinic.

The surgeons are also skilled in the newest technologies such as Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICAS) and Trans Myocardial Laser Revascularisation (TMLR), which means that they can carry out these surgical procedures without opening the chest. The physicians are backed by the most advanced cardiac diagnostic techniques available today.

The Adult Cardiac and Vascular Surgery Programme at AIMS is one of the busiest programmes in the country. Over 1500 cardiac surgical operations were performed in the first two years. The operations performed include coronary artery bypass grafting, heart valve repair and replacement, and operations for congenital heart defects in adults.

The Heart Centre houses the following departments:

• Cardiovascular Ultrasound and Hemodynamic Lab
• Cardiac Exercise Testing and Ambulatory ECG Monitoring
• Nuclear Cardiology
• Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
• Arrythmia Services
• Coronory Care Unit (CCU)
• Paediatric Cardiology
• Adult Cardiac and Vascular Surgery Programme