Brussels Saint-Luc University Hospital
The surgery division addresses and treats the full spectrum of pathologies. A broad range of surgery is performed, including the full arterial revascularisations for coronary surgery, the systematic repair of aortic and mitral valve with degenerative disease (>95%), the full options of techniques for valve replacement, heart transplant programmes and artificial heart programmes, paediatric and congenital surgery, endovascular unit for stent graft, and more. Prof. Gebrine El Khoury, MD, heads the Cardiac Surgery Department, and is recognised as one of the pioneering surgeons of the aortic valve repair. The department is one of the most active centres for valve disease and is considered as a school in cardiac surgery as illustrated by the number of visitors El Khoury’s team receives on a daily basis, their active participation in the most important international meetings (live surgery, lectures, post graduate courses) and the yearly organisation of three international meetings.
Antwerp Hospital Network
The department of cardiology consists of 3 wards with 100 beds, a noninvasive and an invasive section. It is equipped with four cathlabs, a large outpatient clinic, a Centre for Cardiac Rehabilitation and a Heart Failure Clinic. The team comprises thirteen cardiologists. Frank Van den Branden, MD, FESC heads the Cardiology Department and Philip Van Cauwelaert, MD, heads the Cardiac Surgery Department.
Brussels University Hospital
The Centre for Heart and Vascular Diseases (CHVZ) has become an indispensable player on the health care scene in Belgium. Both locally and abroad, it is considered to be a leading institution where extensive medical expertise is combined with patient-friendly service in order to achieve genuine high-quality care. The CHVZ has extensive experience of ablation treatment in Belgium. It is the only centre in Belgium and the third in Europe to perform electromagnetic navigation ablation. Prof. Guy Van Camp, MD, is the head of the Cardiology Department; Prof. Pedro Brugada, MD, PHD is the head of the Heart Rhythm Management Centre and Prof. Francis Wellens, MD, is the head of the Surgery Department.
Imelda Hospital
Imelda has one of the most active centres for heart and vascular diseases in Belgium. It has the first fully integrated heart and vascular centre in Belgium. Patients are admitted in three different units, shared by cardiologists and surgeons, according to their heart or vascular problem. This enables an optimal multidisciplinary approach for the whole spectrum of pathologies. One of the units is dedicated to short admissions. Imelda is a leading centre for the treatment of atrial fibrillation by radiofrequency ablation. Four years ago, a unique anatomo-functional approach was developed by the team.
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hospital Aalst
The Cardiology Centre has a high scientific research activity and is recognised as such by the Belgian government. A high number of cardiologists from all over the world are trained in this centre. To support the research activity and education, the Cardiology Division has its own Cardiac Research Fund, an element of the “King Baudouin foundation”. Several members of the staff are key opinion leaders and serve as course directors, chairmen and speakers in numerous international meetings. Erik Andries, MD, is the founder and Chairman of the Cardiology Division. He has guided the Cardiovascular Division to its position as a centre of excellence with an international reputation in the domain of clinical and interventional cardiology, electrophysiology and cardiac rehabilitation. The Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery unit was founded in 1980 by Hugo Vanermen, MD, head of the department and introducer of new technologies in the field of cardiac surgery and developer of totally endoscopic cardiac surgery.
Antwerp University Hospital
Antwerp University Hospital’s cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons work together to deliver the most comprehensive care for patients with complex disorders of the heart, blood vessels and circulation. Antwerp University Hospital hosts the largest centre for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in Belgium, a procedure that makes use of an artificial heart-lung machine to temporarily take over the cardio-respiratory function. Since 1996, the Antwerp Heart Centre has run a successful heart transplant program with over 100 transplants performed and excellent survival results. Prof. Christiaan Vrints, MD, has headed the department of cardiology since 1998. As the medical director of the largest centre for interventional cardiology in Belgium, Prof. Vrints focuses on non-surgical procedures to treat cardiovascular diseases.
Leuven University Hospitals
The departments of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the University Hospitals Leuven are well established since 1957. With more than 1 200 open-heart procedures annually they constitute the largest cardiovascular centre in Belgium. The centre has 33 intensive care beds (post-operative and ICCU), 15 medium care beds and 4 wards with 152 beds. The close collaboration between cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, intensivists, nursing staff, physical therapists, exercise physiologists and registered dieticians guarantees an optimal integrated care of the cardiac patient from arrival at the hospital until discharge and, if needed, into outpatient rehabilitation. The high influx of patients and the availability of the newest devices and diagnostic techniques allow for ample clinical and technical experience. Internationally renowned Prof. Frans Van de Werf, MD, FESC, FACC, FAHA, heads the cardiology department and Prof. Bart Meyns, MD, heads the cardiac surgery department.