Heart & Vascular Clinical Insights

• Henry Ford cardiologists discovered that the Apple iPhone 12 magnet deactivates ICDs. We are launching a more comprehensive study of all major brands of defibrillators and pacemakers to determine if they are also affected by Apple or other portable devices.
• We were the first in Michigan to perform minimally invasive aortic repair and continue to expand its use.
• Henry Ford cardiologists led the development of a cardiogenic shock treatment protocol that in a recent study demonstrated a significant increase in heart attack survival.
• Henry Ford Innovations uses 3D-printed heart models to transform cardiac care, providing three-dimensional precision beyond standard imaging. These models surpass CT scans by simulating valve placement and selection, ensuring precise fit in complex cases and reducing leakage risks like heart failure.
• In November 2025, the cardiovascular team at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital performed the health system’s first robotic mitral valve repair surgery. The robotic procedure is done via five small incisions and provides the patient with a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, less pain, lower chance of complications, and improved cosmetics. This procedure is available at only a small percentage of hospitals in the country, putting Henry Ford Health in an elite group of health systems to offer this option.
• We’re one of the few heart programs in Michigan that offers remote magnetic ablations. This minimally invasive procedure improves or even cures erratic or rapid heartbeats, and gives us access to otherwise difficult-to-reach areas of the heart.
• Our cardiologists are leaders in the field of minimally invasive heart procedures and pioneers in many leading-edge treatment methods for structural heart disease. Since the beginning of our transcatheter aortic valve replacement program in 2012, we have performed over 3,000 TAVR procedures.
• At the Henry Ford Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, we have achieved one of the highest success rates in the world for CTO PCI, a procedure to open completely blocked arteries. Henry Ford is the most experienced medical center in Michigan and the upper Midwest for CTO PCI.
• Our Sarcoidosis Lung Disease Program was officially designated as a World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG) Center of Excellence. This designation is held by only 34 other centers in the U.S., and it is the first of its kind in Michigan.
• In 2025, we developed six clinics exclusively dedicated to women’s cardiovascular health, more than any other health system in the country. This marks a large step towards equalizing cardiovascular care. Historically, only 20-25% of clinical trial participants have been women, with most female representation limited to women’s health studies.