About Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute

About Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute

Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute was formed in 1981 with the goal of providing expert clinical care, educating both the public and health care professionals and advancing the field of cardiology through research. Over the past 36 years, the Institute has grown to be one of the top-rated cardiovascular centers in the world, consistently recognized by US News and World Report.

The Institute consists of more than 55 cardiologists, 8 vascular surgeons and 9 cardiothoracic surgeons. The team provides leadership, clinical experience and research expertise, allowing us to carry out our mission of excellence.

Twenty three of our physicians have been named Top Docs by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, more than any other practice. They are recognized authorities in their field, innovating in care delivery and advancing optimal cardiovascular care through their research efforts. Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute has continued to distinguish itself in four important categories:

  1. Optimal cardiovascular care
  2. Transformational physician leadership and management
  3. Health care delivery innovation
  4. Research and education

Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute 2020 by the numbers

Committed to research

Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute is complemented by its companion organization, the nonprofit Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation®. Comprised of Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute physicians and a dedicated research and administrative staff, MHIF conducts extensive research to evaluate new methods of prevention and diagnosis, and to study innovative treatment methods and noninvasive procedures to reduce the stress and costs of cardiac care without compromising quality.

A rich history

Learn about Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute’s history, including its important contributions to the fight against heart and vascular disease including being the first in the Midwest to implant an artificial heart, creating protocols for heart attack and other cardiovascular emergencies that has led to faster treatment and thus reduced mortality and offering the most advanced and least invasive valve replacement procedures.

A record of clinical excellence and innovation

  • 1981 - Minneapolis Heart Institute® is formed, comprised of three groups of providers – thoracic physicians, cardiac surgeons and cardiologists. Minneapolis Heart Institute® provides care to patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.
  • 1982 - Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation is formed to enhance clinical efforts through research.
  • 1985 - Minneapolis Heart Institute®/Abbott Northwestern Hospital is among three centers in the U.S. to receive approval to implant the artificial heart. We are the first in the Midwest to implant the Symbion total artificial heart (TAH). We are the first in the Midwest to implant the Novacor Left-Ventricular Assist System (LVAS). This experimental device is used as a bridge to human heart transplantation or to support the heart until it regains function.
  • 1986 - We become the first to implant the Symbion J7-70 TAH in a woman.
  • 1988 - We perform one of the first double-lung transplants in the U.S.
  • 1993 - We are the first in the nation to use an artificial vein graft in bypass surgery.
  • 1995 - Our surgeons are among the first in the nation to use a new surgical technique for bypass surgery – the minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass, or “trapdoor,” procedure.
  • 1995 - Minneapolis Heart Institute® merges with Abbott Northwestern Hospital.
  • 1996 - We begin offering LVAD Implantations as an option to heart failure patients.
  • 1998 - We introduce HeartScan, a screening tool that uses Electron Beam CT technology to scan for plaque in arteries, to the Twin Cities community.
  • 2001 - Our Center for Advanced Cardiac Imaging is created.
  • 2002 - Cardiac Surgeons join Minneapolis Heart Institute®.
  • 2003 - The Level One Heart Attack Program is launched, establishing the first step of the Center for Cardiovascular Emergency Care.
  • 2005 - Abbott Northwestern’s Heart Hospital building opens.
  • 2007 - First MitraClip therapy for the treatment of mitral regurgitation performed at Abbott Northwestern Hospital
  • 2008 - First-in-man implant in the world of the Myocor device for the treatment of mitral regurgitation
  • 2011 - First transcatheter valve implantation for aortic stenosis performed at Abbott Northwestern Hospital
  • 2013 - First successful treatment of mitral prosthetic dysfunction with valve-in-valve therapy using an Edwards Sapien prosthesis in the United States. 100th case of transcatheter aortic valve implantation performed at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. First worldwide treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with the MitraClip device.
  • 2014 - First commercial implant of a Medtronic CoreValve in the United States. National and regional physicians attend the Valve Summit 2014: The Science and Deliver of Optimal, Multidisciplinary Care, a medical conference organized by MHI. First successful therapy with MitraClip in the United States performed independently of industry clinical support. Paul Sorajja, MD, becomes a co-author of the national ACCF/AHA practice guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. The 200th case of transcatheter aortic valve implantation performed at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Establishment of a fellowship in structural heart disease interventions