Surpassing the World’s Top Global Medical Institutions… Mount Sinai 2nd, Mayo Clinic 3rd

TCT Conference Announces Top 10 Research Institutions Leading in Academic and Clinical Cardiology

▲ The TCT (Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics) conference has recognized the top 10 research institutions, with AMC Heart Institute ranked as the world’s best.

Asan Medical Center (AMC) Heart Institute has been ranked the world’s leading research institution in interventional cardiovascular medicine, specifically in treating cardiovascular conditions such as angina and myocardial infarction using stent procedures. The globally renowned Mount Sinai Hospital and Mayo Clinic in the United States secured the second and third positions, respectively.

The Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference, the world’s most prestigious authority in cardiology, recently announced that it has selected AMC Heart Institute as the top research institution in interventional cardiovascular medicine for 2024.

The Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference is the world’s largest academic symposium on interventional cardiology, attracting over 10,000 cardiology experts from 100 countries each year.

At TCT 2024, recently held in Washington, D.C. by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), leading cardiology scholars from around the world gathered to actively share the latest insights in interventional cardiology, reinforcing the conference's global prominence.

At the TCT conference, ‘SET-10(Scientific Excellence Top 10)’ list is announced each year, recognizing institutions that have made leading academic and clinical contributions in interventional cardiovascular medicine. This ranking is based on a comprehensive evaluation, including scientific value and impact, number of published research papers, and stages of clinical trials, spanning from basic science to clinical research outcomes.

AMC Heart Institute recently reinforced its reputation as South Korea’s leading heart institute by ranking first in the country for cardiology and cardiac surgery for the fifth consecutive year in the ‘World’s Best Specialized Hospitals’ rankings by Newsweek.

Additionally, AMC Heart Institute recently achieved the remarkable milestone of publishing nine research papers in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), widely regarded as the world’s most authoritative journal in clinical medicine and often referred to as the ‘clinical treatment textbook’ for physicians worldwide. The NEJM has a profound influence on the global medical field, with treatment guidelines around the world frequently revised based on its published studies. Given that leading heart institutes in South Korea typically publish only one paper in NEJM, this accomplishment by AMC Heart Institute represents an exceptional academic achievement that is rare even on a global scale.

Since Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park of the Division of Cardiology performed the first coronary artery intervention in South Korea in 1991, AMC Heart Institute has played a pioneering role in the treatment and research of heart diseases. Each year, approximately 200,000 outpatient visits and 60,000 inpatient admissions are treated at AMC Heart Institute.

▲ (From the right) Professors Seung-Jung Park, Duk-Woo Park, and Jung-Min Ahn of the Division of Cardiology at Asan Medical Center are performing a TAVI procedure.

In 1997, AMC Heart Institute made a groundbreaking achievement by successfully performing the world’s first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on a patient with stenosis in the left main coronary artery, the most crucial vessel among the three coronary arteries. This success not only proved the effectiveness of the procedure but also changed the international standards for stent treatment in the left main coronary artery.

In 2010, the team led by Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park, Professor Duk-Woo Park, and Professor Jung-Min Ahn of the Division of Cardiology became the pioneer in South Korea by performing the country’s first transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive procedure to treat aortic stenosis without open-heart surgery. Today, TAVI has become the standard treatment for aortic stenosis. Most recently, in October, the team achieved a historic milestone as the first in Asia to complete 2,000 TAVI procedures. Despite the majority of patients being over 80 years old, the success rate of these procedures reached an exceptional 99%, setting a global standard in the field.

AMC Heart Institute has established itself as a global leader in the advancement of interventional cardiology, delivering high-quality healthcare services and remarkable academic achievements. It has become a sought-after destination for medical professionals and patients from around the world. Over the past decade, approximately 1,500 international physicians from 40 countries and 4,000 international patients have visited Asan Medical Center for heart-related treatments.

Endowed-Chair Professor Seung-Jung Park of the Division of Cardiology said, "I am honored to be recognized as a leader in cardiology research alongside world-renowned institutions like Mount Sinai Hospital and Mayo Clinic. I believe this achievement reflects our commitment not only to improving survival rates for patients with severe heart conditions but also to enhancing the quality of life for our patients after treatment."

Meanwhile, Professor Duk-Woo Park of the Division of Cardiology, who attended TCT 2024, said, “I am pleased that our continuous efforts to strengthen both clinical care and global research competitiveness have yielded results, despite challenges such as COVID-19. Moving forward, I will continue to conduct world-class clinical research and strive to contribute to the treatment of our patients to the best of my ability.”