Ischemic Heart Disease Center
Ischemic Heart Disease Center at AMC Heart Institute is a dedicated center specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, particularly angina and myocardial infarction (heart attack). The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle, and their narrowing or blockage can lead to myocardial necrosis. Acute myocardial infarction is a cardiovascular emergency where treatment delays can be life-threatening. To ensure rapid and accurate care for such high-risk conditions, the center is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and interventional systems and operates a 24/7 emergency intervention and surgical infrastructure.
Multidisciplinary Care System
Our center offers customized, patient-centered care through a collaborative approach involving specialists in Cardiology, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Radiology, Anesthesiology, and Emergency Medicine. Experts from each field participate in all stages—from diagnosis and intervention to surgery—tailoring the treatment plan to each patient’s condition.
24/7 Emergency Intervention and Surgical Response System
A dedicated team for acute coronary syndrome is on standby 24 hours a day. Emergency coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are available at any time, with surgical backup when necessary. This system enables the prompt restoration of blood flow, minimizes myocardial damage, and significantly improves patient survival.
Conditions We Treat
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- Angina Pectoris
- This condition occurs when the coronary arteries become narrowed, reducing oxygen supply to the heart. It typically causes chest pain and is a hallmark symptom of ischemic heart disease. Angina is often considered a precursor to myocardial infarction.
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- Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
- Myocardial infarction is a critical condition in which the blood supply to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked, often due to an acute occlusion of a coronary artery. Immediate diagnosis and treatment are crucial for survival and long-term outcomes.
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- Chest Pain and High-Risk Patients
- Chest pain is a common symptom of angina and myocardial infarction, requiring prompt evaluation. While not all chest pain is heart-related, those with risk factors—such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, or a family history—should undergo thorough cardiovascular assessments.
Scope of Our Medical Services
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- Medical Management
- Medications include antiplatelets, anticoagulants, thrombolytics, antihypertensives, lipid-lowering drugs, and agents to reduce cardiac workload. Treatment plans are tailored based on patient condition, risk level, and whether interventions are needed. Therapy ranges from acute management to long-term follow-up.
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- Procedures
- * Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
This procedure involves inserting a catheter through the femoral or radial artery to dilate narrowed coronary arteries using balloon angioplasty and/or stent placement. Treatment is customized based on the lesion’s location, length, and severity to restore blood flow and prevent myocardial injury.
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- Surgical Treatments
- * Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
CABG is a surgical procedure performed to restore adequate blood flow to the heart muscle by bypassing areas where circulation has been blocked due to severe narrowing or obstruction of the coronary arteries, using healthy vessels such as the saphenous vein or internal thoracic artery.
Clinical Volume (2023)
- Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI): 3,127 cases
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG): 285 cases
Clinical Achievements
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- First Coronary Stent Procedure in Korea (1991)
- Until the early 1990s, treatment of coronary artery disease relied heavily on medication or surgery. Although balloon angioplasty (PTCA, Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty) had been attempted as a non-surgical treatment, it faced significant limitations, with restenosis rates reaching 30 to 50% after the procedure. At a time when coronary stent implantation was being developed globally to overcome these challenges, Asan Medical Center became the first hospital in Korea to successfully perform coronary stenting, marking the beginning of a new era in interventional cardiology in the country.
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- World’s First Successful Left Main Coronary Artery Intervention with Stent (1998)
- The center achieved the world’s first successful stent procedure for left main coronary artery disease. The left main artery supplies a large volume of blood and affects the entire heart, making it one of the most technically challenging area for stenting. Despite these complexities, the procedure was a success, demonstrating that high-risk surgery could be replaced with stent-based treatment and ushering in a paradigm shift in the management of coronary artery disease.
Doctors
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Kang, Do-yoon - Departments
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Cardiology, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Kang, Soo-jin - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention & Rehabilitation Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Ischemic heart disease, Angina, Coronary artery disease, Hypertension
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Kang, Pil-je - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Kim, Young-hak - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Hyperlipidemia
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Kim, Joon-bum - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Valvular heart disease, Aortic disease, Cardiac arrhythmias
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Kim, Tae-oh - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Peripheral Artery Disease Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Kim, Ho-jin - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Robotic Surgery center, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Valve repair surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, pulmonary endarterectomy, high-risk coronary surgery, off-pump CABG, non-transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement, heart transplantation
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Dae Hyuk Moon - Departments
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Nuclear Medicine, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, AMC Cancer Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center, Breast Cancer Center
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Nuclear cardiology, Renal nuclear medicine, Breast cancer imaging
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Park, Duk-woo - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion
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Park, Seong-wook - Departments
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Cardiology, Stroke Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Hyperlipidemia
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Park, Seung-jung - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Valvular heart disease
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Sim, Ji-yeon - Departments
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Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Cardiopulmonary Anesthesia
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Ahn, Jung-min - Departments
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Cardiology, Aortic Disease Center, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention & Rehabilitation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
- Specialty
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Valvular heart disease
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Yoo Jae Suk - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Lee, Seung-whan - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Diabetes Center, Intensive Care Unit, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Peripheral Artery Disease Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Carotid artery disease, Peripheral vessel disease
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Lee, Cheol whan - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Hyperlipidemia, Cell Therapy
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Jung, Sung-ho - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Organ Transplantation Center, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center, Sarcoma & Rare Cancer Center
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Cardiovascular disease, Heart Transplantation, Valvular heart disease, Coronary artery disease
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Chung, Cheol-hyun - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Aortic disease, Valvular heart disease, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery disease(In patient care)
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Choi, In-cheol - Departments
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Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Cardiopulmonary Anesthesia
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Han, Ki-hoon - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Coronary artery disease, Angina, Cardiac Infartion, Hyperlipidemia
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Hahm, Kyung-don - Departments
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Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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Cardiopulmonary Anesthesia
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HONGRAE KIM - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Marfan Clinic, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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KU MIN JUNG - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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KIM KITAE - Departments
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Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Aortic Disease Center, Atrial Fibrillation Center, Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation Center, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Valvular Heart Disease Center, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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JU HYEON KIM - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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PARK HANSU - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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SOO YEON AN - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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SEONG BONG WEE - Departments
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Cardiology, Asan Medical Center Heart Institute, Ischemic Heart Disease Center
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