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Sands-Constellation Heart Institute

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Heart Care That Changes Lives

The Sands-Constellation Heart Institute is a network of heart care experts located throughout the Rochester area and Central and Western New York regions, working together to provide each and every patient with the latest and best possible cardiac care. We have a national reputation as a center of excellence in diagnosing, preventing, treating and managing heart disease and conditions. We were recognized by Healthgrades in 2019 as being among the top 5% in the country for heart services. 
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Our Heart Care Services

  • Cardiac Oncology

    Cancer treatments can be life altering. Hence, our cardio-oncology team is committed to working with patients and advising them before, during, and after cancer treatment to help prevent and minimize heart damage caused by chemotherapy and radiation.

    Learn More About Cardiac Oncology

  • Cardiac Rehab

    Our Cardiac Rehabilitation programs provide comprehensive support that can restore your health or – even better – help you avoid cardiac problems altogether.

    Learn About Our Cardiac Rehab Services

  • Cardiovascular Imaging

    Technological advances in cardiac imaging enables our team at the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute to better provide preventative care by detecting heart disease earlier and more accurately.

    Learn More About Our Cardiovascular Imaging Services

  • The Center for Advanced Valvular & Structural Heart Disease

    As a Comprehensive Level I Valve Center, the Center for Advanced Valvular & Structural Heart Disease provides a compassionate and multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating your heart valve or structural heart disease.

    Learn More About Our Valvular & Structural Heart Disease Services

  • CHIP/CTO

    The CHIP/CTO Program offers cutting-edge, minimally invasive treatments for complex coronary artery disease. Our highly-skilled interventional cardiologists are experienced in treating complex high-risk indicated patients (CHIP), as well as those with chronic total occlusions (CTO).

    Learn More About The CHIP/CTO Program

  • General Cardiology Services

    Our expert cardiologists use the very latest in heart testing to evaluate and diagnose cardiac disorders and offers the full range of non-invasive cardiology testing services.

    Learn More About Our Cardiology Services

  • Heart Rhythm Services

    Rochester Regional Health's Sands-Constellation Heart Institute offers specialized clinics and centers to diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms.

    Explore Our Heart Rhythm Services

  • Heart Surgery

    Our cardiothoracic surgical teams are among the most experienced and most highly trained in the country. We perform more than 1,200 surgeries each year, making the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute the fourth largest cardiac surgery center in New York.

    Meet Our Heart Surgeons

  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program

    We offer the region’s most experienced team in caring for HCM patients and their families, offering innovative treatments that are not available at other institutions locally.

    Learn More About Our Services

  • Interventional Cardiology Program

    Our expert team of cardiologists and other providers specialize in treating patients with coronary artery disease, structural heart disease and peripheral vascular diseases.

    Learn More About Our Services

  • Minimal Invasive Heart Surgery

    If you need to have heart surgery, you want to know that you’re in the best hands using the latest techniques. At Rochester Regional Health’s Sands-Constellation Heart Institute, we’re home to some of the nation’s leading cardiac surgeons in using minimally invasive techniques to repair even the most complicated heart issues.

    Learn More About Our Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

  • Preventative Cardiology

    Our Preventive Cardiology team provide comprehensive approaches to preventing cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals, while also applying preventative practices to prevent further issues in people who already have cardiovascular disease.

    Learn More About Our Preventative Cardiology Services

  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

    The Rochester Regional Sands-Constellation Heart Institute is a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) center. TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure for people who have been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the heart valve opening) and are considered either high-risk or too sick for open heart surgery.

    Learn About Our Process

  • Vascular Services

    Vascular services deal with imaging of the body’s network of blood vessels, which includes the arteries, veins and capillaries that carry blood to and from the heart.

    View Services We Offer

  • WATCHMAN Program

    We provide a comprehensive range of heart rhythm and AFib care, including offering world-class expertise and innovative treatments like WATCHMAN.

    Learn More About the WATCHMAN Program
America's 100 Best Stroke Care 2020 Award From Healthgrades

America's 100 Best Stroke Care

Our team at Rochester General Hospital has been awarded by Healthgrades as one of America's 100 Best Stroke Care hospitals 4 years in a row (2017-2020). We have also been consistently awarded for our five-star treatment of stroke. 
See more of our awards
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Meet Our Team

The Sands-Constellation Heart Institute’s team is here to provide you and your family with the highest level of heart care. Our team provides a comprehensive approach for preventative heart disease and stroke to optimize your health outcomes.  

Meet Our Team
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A Regional Approach

No matter where you live in Western New York and the Finger Lakes, the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute is ready to assist you. Our cardiology teams are located around the region, giving you easy access to our comprehensive care network. And we work closely with all referring physicians to make sure you or your loved one is quickly connected to the appropriate specialist. Find a Heart Institute location near you.When heart surgery is needed, the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute at Rochester General Hospital is equipped with the latest technology and some of the most skilled cardiac surgeons in the country.

Find a Heart Institute location near you

Committed to preventing Heart Disease, Stroke, and Heart Attacks

We have a strong focus on prevention and patient education. SCHI offers a full-service cardiac rehabilitation program where you can receive counseling on diet and nutrition, lifestyle, exercise, stress management and exercise in a safe and monitored environment following a cardiac event. And because prevention is the best cure for cardiac disease, our team of exercise specialists, registered dieticians, and social workers are available to assist you in learning more about your best defenses against heart disease and stroke and what you can do to keep your heart healthy. 

Physician Leadership Team

The Sands-Constellation Heart Institute’s Physician Leadership Team is made up of clinical leaders across the specialty areas in cardiac care. Together with the rest of the SCHI team, these physicians ensure that our program operates at the highest levels. This is a leadership team dedicated to you and all of our patients – ensuring that we are the best we can be and that SCHI provides the best care to you…and your heart.

Learn About Gordon's Story

When heart surgery is needed, the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute at Rochester General Hospital is equipped with the latest technology and some of the most skilled cardiac surgeons in the country.

Gordon, 61, suffered his cardiac arrest at work last June and was rushed unconscious to Unity. Doctors restarted his heart, but he remained unresponsive. Physicians could not operate until his heart’s rhythm was stabilized. In order to limit damage to his brain, Cameron Hall, MD, made the decision to deliberately reduce Gordon’s core body temperature to around 90 degrees through therapeutic hypothermia.
First to offer convergent albation
First to implant Mitraclip
First to implant Cardio MEMs

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