Research Initiatives

Our Heart Center is currently home to 53 Cardiologist/ Electrophysiologists and nine Cardiothoracic Surgeons. 

With over 35 years of experience in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, the WakeMed Heart Center physicians are leading research efforts in cutting-edge technology for the treatment of heart and vascular disease. 

• In 2004, WakeMed ranked 3rd of 83 hospitals nationwide in enrollment in the Taxus Drug Eluting Stent Research Trials and ranked first of 50 hospitals nationwide in enrollment in the Taxus Drug Eluting Stent PreRelease Registry. 
• WakeMed Cardiologists are leading research efforts in Carotid Stent Trials and prevention of stroke through insertion of internal closure devices to seal holes in the internal dividing wall in the heart.
• WakeMed Electrophysiologists are active in national research trials such as MADIT II and SCD_HeFT to improve the prevention of Sudden Death in at-risk patients through the use of implantable defibrillators. They also pursue advances in the treatment of Heart Failure through the use of resynchronization pacemakers and defibrillators that improve the pumping ability of the heart. 
• Our Cardiothoracic Surgeons use Endoscopic Vein Harvesting techniques to remove bypass veins from the legs with minimal incisions.  They also perform minimally invasive and off-pump bypass and valve surgeries, and have recently
  implemented the DaVinci robotic device for use with heart surgery.

WakeMed Heart Center is the site of numerous research studies involving cardiac-related devices, equipment, techniques, and pharmaceuticals. WakeMed Raleigh Campus has an Institutional Review Board (IRB) that complies with the FDA regulations for investigations involving human subjects. Two physician practices based at the WakeMed Raleigh Campus, Wake Heart & Vascular Associates and Raleigh Cardiology Associates, are involved in primary research for a number of projects. Examples of IRB-approved studies include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Randomized Controlled Trials to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of the Zomaxx Drug Eluting Coronary Stent, as Compared to the Taxus Express 2 Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent in de novo Coronary Artery Lesions (Abbott Vascular);
• Symbiot III: A Prospective Randomized Trial Evaluating the Symbiot Covered Stent System in Saphenous Vein Grafts (Boston Scientific);
• FLAME: The FilterWire EX System Used in the Treatment of an Acute Myocardial Infarction for Embolic Protection (Boston Scientific);
• A trial looking at the Spider distal embolic protection device (ev3 Inc.);
• SAPPHIRE, a carotid stent trial (Cordis Corporation);
• CAPTURE 2, a carotid stent trial (Abbott Vascular);
• SPIRIT III and SPIRIT IV, Xience drug-eluting stent trials (Abbott Vascular).

Currently, over 50 active research projects involving cardiovascular services are being conducted at WakeMed Raleigh Campus. Physicians on the WakeMed medical staff are on the forefront of medical research. This commitment to cutting-edge technology benefits patients of WakeMed Heart Center.