New aortic aneurysm center provides life-saving cardiac treatment when every second counts
MARCH 2, 2021 – Mercy Hospital, an industry leading, acute care hospital that has been providing high quality services in South Florida for more than 60 years, is excited to announce that it has launched a groundbreaking Aortic Emergency Center that will provide urgent vascular treatment for all aspects and stages of aortic aneurysms, a weakened area in the major blood vessel that feeds blood to the body (aorta). Aneurysm ruptures or dissections can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Mercy Hospital’s Aortic Emergency Center can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling (866) MIAORTA or (866) 642-6782
“We are making significant investments in Mercy Hospital’s cardiovascular programs in order to provide comprehensive care for all aortic diseases,” said David Donaldson, CEO of Mercy Hospital. “This new center enables us to offer pioneering medical and surgical solutions to our most urgent heart patients in a time frame that will save lives.”
The Aortic Emergency Center at Mercy Hospital is led by Dr. Allan Stewart, one of the country’s leading experts on multi-disciplinary, innovative solutions to treat aneurysms throughout the aorta. Dr. Stewart and his team have deep expertise and experience with minimally invasive surgical procedures that can repair or replace patients’ aortic valves with small incisions that do not require the opening of the breast bone at all. 
“Aortic complications are a leading cause of death and disability in both men and women,” said Dr. Allan Stewart, Head of Cardiovascular Surgery Programs at Mercy Hospital. “Our team at Mercy Hospital offers a depth and breadth of surgical experience that is unparalleled in South Florida. We tailor every treatment plan to the individual patient as our goal is always to create life-long solutions to aortic disease.”
The team at the Aortic Emergency Center begins their assessment of patients by enrollment in the Aortic Surveillance Program. The surveillance focuses not only on the individual patient, but also on the search for genetic causes of the disease process. This stringent program for patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections carefully monitors changes in the size of the aneurysm in order to provide the most effective, customized treatment possible.
The Aortic Emergency Center’s extensive, confidential database benefits patients by using the vast amount of information and research collected to identify risks, common complications and aneurysm growth expectations – all of which lead to better patient care and improved outcomes.
About Mercy Hospital
Mercy Hospital is a comprehensive medical facility that has been serving the healthcare needs of South Florida for more than 60 years. The 488-bed, acute care hospital is an award-winning facility that specializes in emergency services that are kid and senior friendly, maternity with level III NICU, general and robotic surgery, hyperbaric and wound care center, cardiology, cancer care, orthopedic and spine, primary stroke center, weight loss center and more. Sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph and an HCA Healthcare affiliate, Mercy is Miami-Dade’s only catholic hospital and provides patients with the best quality care in a compassionate and caring environment. Affiliated with over 1,000 physicians, Mercy’s Centers of Excellence include: The Heart Center, the Maternity and Women’s Health Center, the Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery Institute, the Orthopedics & Spine Institute, the Miami Cancer Center and the Behavioral Health Center. Mercy Hospital is located in the heart of Coconut Grove, FL with a bay front property that makes Mercy the only hospital in Miami to be accessible by land, air and sea. For more information on Mercy Hospital, visit mercymiami.com, follow us on Instagram @mercyhospitalmiami and like us on facebook.com/MercyHospitalMiami/
Mercy Hospital is part of HCA East Florida. HCA East Florida is the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of HCA Healthcare. HCA East Florida has 14 hospitals, multiple ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and free standing emergency care facilities, as well as a supply chain center and an integrated regional lab. Together, HCA East Florida employs more than 18,000 employees and has nearly 7,000 physicians on staff. For more information, visit HCAEastFlorida.com.
