Heart Attack

Treatment in Minnesota

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. is one of the leading centers in the nation for treatment of heart attack. An experienced multidisciplinary team guides patients from the emergency department to the catheterization laboratory and into recovery and rehabilitation.

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The most important immediate treatment for heart attack is to open the blocked artery as quickly as possible. Mayo Clinic in Rochester has one of the fastest "door-to-balloon" times in the nation — the average time from when the patient enters the Emergency Department to the procedure (angioplasty) to open his or her artery or arteries. The average "door-to-balloon" time at Mayo Clinic in Rochester is less than 60 minutes.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester also consistently performs above standard benchmarks for other heart attack treatment protocols, such as providing aspirin and beta-blockers to patients upon arrival.

Treatment Team

The treatment of a heart attack takes place during and after the heart attack occurs. Care is provided by a multidisciplinary team working collaboratively, including specialists in the Emergency Department, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Cardiovascular Surgery. The Mayo Clinic Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory works closely with the Mayo Interventional Clinic, which provides rapid access for patients needing heart catheterization.

Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program

Mayo Clinic in Rochester's unique, state-of-the-art Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program creates a personalized rehabilitation plan for each patient. This plan typically includes exercise prescription, supervised exercise training, risk factor management, nutrition counseling, tobacco cessation counseling and regular evaluations. To participate, patients must be referred to the program by their physicians or evaluated by the program.

Nicotine Dependence Center

Tobacco use increases risk of heart problems dramatically. Mayo Clinic in Rochester has helped thousands of patients end tobacco dependence through its internationally recognized Nicotine Dependence Center. The center uses a comprehensive approach, combining behavioral and addiction philosophies with pharmacological treatment and relapse-prevention strategies. A treatment plan is created for each patient. The eight-day intensive residential treatment program maintains an impressive one-year stop rate of over 45 percent.

Appointments

For appointments or more information, call the Central Appointment Office at (507) 538-3270 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.