Coronary artery disease is becoming more severe and complex with an aging population and many patients with various complications. SAKAKIBARA has more than 50 cardiologists and incorporates state-of-the-art medical equipment to proactively treat difficult and complex lesions as well as high-risk patients. Even when catheterization is deemed difficult, we collaborate with experienced and skilled cardiovascular surgeons to perform coronary artery bypass surgery.

Catheterization is performed by a team of catheterization specialists, cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, and echocardiographers working together as one team. At SAKAKIBARA, we emphasize quality of life after surgery through minimally invasive procedures, and even for patients who are too old or have comorbidities to undergo open surgery, we offer many catheter-based procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for aortic stenosis, mitral valve clipping (Mitra Clip) for mitral regurgitation, and other procedures. In addition, valve replacement and valvuloplasty are performed by MICS (minimally invasive cardiac surgery) using a 4K-3D endoscope, and after surgery, intensive care physicians and physical therapists support early recovery.
We are also actively engaged in catheterization and surgery for atrial septal defects and obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

In addition to medical treatment, we provide catheter ablation, pacemaker/defibrillator and other implantable devices. After pacemaker implantation, monitoring is performed by remote medical care. We also perform lead removal, left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) using a catheter, and surgical atrial fibrillation treatment (MAZE procedure, Wolf-Ohtsuka procedure). About 70% of atrial fibrillation ablation is performed by cryoablation, which is a short procedure with low patient burden.

We perform more than 1,500 cardiovascular surgeries annually, including pediatric and adult congenital heart disease, adult open-heart surgery, and peripheral vascular surgery. We emphasize quality of life, including early discharge from the hospital, postoperative independence, and return to work, with a focus on pain management, wound care, and mental health care. We provide meticulous management through a double attending physician system of cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons before and after surgery.
 
The extent and location of the incision wound determines the quality of life after cardiac surgery. We actively perform minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) using 4K-3D endoscopes for valvular heart disease surgery and bypass surgery, which results in less noticeable postoperative wounds, less bleeding, and a lower risk of infection. Because the incision is small, there are few postoperative movement restrictions, and patients can be discharged from the hospital as early as 7 days after surgery.

The department of pediatrics provides general cardiovascular care including congenital heart disease from neonates to adults, acquired heart disease of childhood onset, Kawasaki disease sequelae, arrhythmias, and myocardial diseases.

The Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center is staffed by three specialists and a multidisciplinary team including pediatricians, cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, obstetricians and gynecologists, clinical psychologists, and physical therapists. Diverse catheterization treatments will be performed. Smooth transition medical care is provided, and the Cardiac Disease Comprehensive Support Center works with social workers and a coordinator of support for balancing work and schooling to provide support for daily life, employment, and schooling.

We continue to update our diagnostic equipment and applications to accurately diagnose cardiac and macrovascular diseases. Diagnosis using these devices is performed by diagnostic imaging physicians, radiologists, and clinical technologists who are specialists in cardiovascular diseases.
 
In addition to imaging information from diagnostic radiology equipment such as 2-tube CT, 1.5 Tesla MRI, and scintillation camera using semiconductor detectors, and numerous echocardiography devices (including transesophageal and 3D), we also utilize a variety of testing methods including cardiopulmonary exercise stress (CPX) and sleep apnea testing to ensure safe, minimally invasive, and accurate diagnosis.