ASAN Medical Center Achieves Global No. 1 Leadership in Cardiovascular Stent Interventions

ASAN Medical Center’s Heart Institute has secured the world’s top position in cardiovascular interventional procedures, particularly in stent treatments for conditions such as angina and myocardial infarction. It surpasses renowned institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital (second place) and Mayo Clinic (third place). 

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference, the world’s premier interventional cardiovascular meeting, recently named ASAN Medical Center as the leading research institution in interventional cardiology for 2024.

Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) is the world’s largest interventional cardiovascular conference, annually convening over 10,000 cardiac specialists from 100 countries. At TCT 2024, held in Washington, D.C., under the auspices of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, leading cardiologists from around the globe engaged in a vigorous exchange of the latest advances in interventional cardiovascular techniques.

TCT annually publishes its ‘Top 10 Research Institutions,’ recognizing centers of excellence demonstrating leadership and outstanding academic and clinical contributions in interventional cardiology. The comprehensive evaluation criteria encompass scientific merit and impact, from basic science to clinical research outcomes, including the volume of peer-reviewed publications and the status of ongoing clinical trials.

The Heart Institute at ASAN Medical Center has maintained its domestic leadership position, ranking first in cardiac care and cardiac surgery for five consecutive years in Newsweek’s global hospital assessment. 

Notably, the institute has published nine papers in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the most authoritative clinical medical journal globally—an exceptional achievement, considering most premier Korean cardiac centers typically publish only one paper in NEJM. 

NEJM stands as the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journal in global clinical medicine. Its influence is so profound that publications in NEJM frequently serve as the foundation for revising international treatment guidelines.

Since Professor Park Seung-jung’s pioneering coronary stent procedure in 1991—Korea’s first—ASAN Medical Center’s Heart Institute has been at the forefront of cardiac care and research, annually treating 200,000 outpatients and 60,000 inpatients. 

In 1997, the institute achieved another world first by successfully performing percutaneous coronary intervention on left main coronary artery stenosis, establishing new international standards for left main artery stenting.

In 2010, the team led by Professors Park Seung-jung, Park Duk-woo, and Ahn Jung-min introduced Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) in Korea. TAVI has since become the standard treatment for aortic stenosis. Last month, the institute achieved another milestone, being the first in Asia to complete 2,000 TAVI procedures, maintaining a remarkable 99% success rate despite treating predominantly octogenarian patients.

The institute has emerged as a global cardiac care destination, attracting 1,500 international medical professionals from 40 countries and 4,000 international patients over the past decade.

Professor Park Seung-jung remarked, "We are honored to be recognized alongside world-leading institutions like Mount Sinai and Mayo Clinic. This achievement reflects our commitment to improving survival rates and enhancing patients’ quality of life after treatment."

Professor Park Duk-woo, who attended TCT 2024, reflected, "It’s gratifying to see our persistent efforts to maintain both clinical excellence and global research competitiveness bear fruit despite challenges like COVID-19 that have affected healthcare worldwide." He added, "We remain committed to conducting world-class clinical research that will continue to advance patient care outcomes."