UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center

As part of the only academic-based health system in San Diego, the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center is recognized as a hub of discovery and innovation.

Here, recognized experts in the fields of cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, neurology, cardiac imaging, vascular surgery and numerous other specialties collaborate closely to provide services only available at the top medical centers in the nation. These include:

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy – We have the highest success rate in the world for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, or PTE – a complicated surgery that removes lethal blood clots from pulmonary arteries to restore blood flow to the lungs.
Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) – Our specialists routinely perform this delicate “beating heart surgery,” which circumvents the need for a heart/lung machine, dramatically reduces complications and speeds recovery time.
Minimally invasive valve replacement – We have extensive experience in this new minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter threaded through the arteries, rather than open heart surgery, to replace damaged heart valves.
High-volume interventional cardiology – We perform more than 2,500 of these lifesaving cardiovascular procedures every year, including stent placement, atherectomy, angioplasty and repair of congenital heart defects.
Hybrid operating rooms – Our state-of-the-art surgical suites enable surgeons to move seamlessly between minimally invasive, open and endovascular procedures without needing to move the patient.
Preventive medicine – Using the most advanced diagnostic equipment, including cardiac MRI and high definition cardiac CT scanning, we are able to detect cardiovascular disease in its earliest stages and create effective prevention and treatment plans.
San Diego's First Dedicated Heart Center
When Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center opened in 2011, it became the only facility in San Diego providing all cardiovascular research, services and programs in one location.