The Heart & Lung Center at Portsmouth Regional Hospital

When it comes to matters of the heart, we take great pride in caring for you, educating you, and supporting you every step of the way.
 
We didn’t earn our reputation as the region’s premier heart center based solely on our nationally recognized cardiac surgery program. At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, it’s all about total care, from prevention and early diagnosis to ongoing follow up and cardiac rehabilitation.

Know the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack to Act in Time

At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, comprehensive cardiac care begins with an investment in community education and prevention, as well as ongoing follow up that keeps our patients and their families feeling supported and healthy. We’re proud to be recognized for our quality and outstanding outcomes - for performing at the highest levels in all aspects – from prevention and diagnosis through treatment and recovery. 

For patients who do need surgery, The Heart and Lung Center, is the largest and most comprehensive program in the region, with outcomes comparable and often more favorable than those at the best urban teaching hospitals. The cardiac surgery team, led by Dr. Donato Sisto, performs hundreds of open heart surgery procedures each year, and is pioneering remarkable innovations, such as life-saving valve surgery using minimally invasive access to the heart. These minimally invasive approaches benefit our patients by reducing risk, improving outcomes and shortening recovery time.

The $63 million dollar expansion, currently underway, is building upon this foundation of cardiac excellence – with a new cardiac “hospital within a hospital” that will integrate everything needed for comprehensive heart care and ongoing support.
 
Highlights of the expansion of Cardiac Services include:

• Relocation/expansion of cardiovascular surgery
• New third floor in the Shoals Building
• 40 new private, monitored medical-surgical beds

This ongoing investment in heart health in New Hampshire will help us better serve the needs of our community, now and well into the future.

State-of-the-art facilities
Integrated approach to patient care
Cardiac diagnostic testing

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  • Non-invasive testing
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Diagnostic tests - glossary of terms

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  • Angioplasty procedures
  • Drug-eluting stents
  • Pacemaker implantation

Electrophysiology

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  • Diagnostic electrophysiology studies
  • Pacemaker and ICD implantation
  • Radiofrequency ablation

Cardiac Surgery Program

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  • Cardiac surgery staff
  • Facilities
  • Surgical procedures
    

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  • Pulmonary Function Lab
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Patient information - preparing for a procedure
Women & Heart Disease

State-of-the-Art Facilities

The Heart & Lung Center, located in the Shoals Building in Portsmouth New Hampshire, offers expanded diagnostic and treatment capabilities with the most advanced technologies available anywhere. By bringing our interventional cardiology, diagnostic testing and cardiac education facilities together in a central location, we've made it easier and more convenient for patients to access comprehensive cardiovascular care.

The Heart & Lung Center's two cardiac catheterization laboratories feature the GE Innova, the world's first all-digital cardiovascular X-ray imaging system. This revolutionary technology provides sharper, clearer images with a minimal radiation dose. The new Heart & Lung Center is the only facility in the Seacoast with two cardiac catheterization labs, and the only one with dual-use capabilities for conducting cardiac and vascular studies simultaneously. The entire interventional cardiology complex has been designed to maximize the comfort and support of patients both before and after their diagnostic procedure.

Our 4,000 square foot, cardiac surgery unit includes two identical 29 ft. x 29 ft. operating suites equipped with the latest technology. The availability of dual operating suites allows for two surgeries to be conducted simultaneously in order to respond optimally to emergency situations. Every detail that could enhance quality of care, patient recovery and family support was incorporated in the design of the cardiac surgery unit:

• Surgical waiting room with privacy for three family groups of different sizes
• ICU rooms and nurses' station flooded with natural light
• Glass fronted ICU rooms
• Private conference rooms for pastoral counseling and physician consultations
• Meditation chapel adjacent to the waiting area with beautiful stained glass chapel window commissioned by the Guild at Portsmouth Regional Hospital
• Art gallery wall featuring changing displays of Seacoast artists

Integrated Approach to Patient Care

Portsmouth Regional Hospital's Heart & Lung Center offers an integrated approach to the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of heart and lung conditions. We coordinate a variety of services including preventive health, outpatient and inpatient care, invasive and non-invasive diagnostics, wellness services, physical therapy/rehabilitation programs, screenings for potential problems and disease management. This means that someone entering the program is evaluated more efficiently and thoroughly in one location, by a team that may include exercise physiologists, nurses, physical therapists, pulmonologists, nutritionists, cardiologists, respiratory therapists and internists. This streamlined approach makes it quicker and easier for patients to get the comprehensive assessment and treatment they need.

Mended Hearts

Mended Hearts Inc. is a national non-profit organization that has been offering the gift of hope to heart disease patients, their families, and caregivers for more than 50 years. The Mended Hearts program at PRH began in 2006 offering its services to cardiac patients through educational seminars, in-patient hospital visitation, and most recently, support group meetings. All cardiac patients and their families are welcome. Please contact us at 603-559-4169 if you have any questions.

The Mended Hearts program is made up of the kind of people it serves. Every member has been impacted personally by the diagnosis of heart disease, which allows them to draw on their own experiences to help others.  Members listen, share their experiences, learn from healthcare professionals, and volunteer to talk to other heart disease patients about what they may face with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Our mission is to “inspire hope in heart disease patients and their families”.

Click here to read, "A rich, full life." - A Mended Hearts patients' testimonial.

Check out the national web site for more information on The Mended Hearts program.