Massachusetts General Hospital has been a leader in cardiovascular care and research since 1914.
Milestones
Over the past century, we have developed many new, innovative ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating heart conditions in both adults and children. We have helped extend and improve the lives of countless patients worldwide.
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(1913) Paul Dudley White, the father of cardiology at Mass General Hospital, began his work by studying in England under Thomas Lewis, a widely recognized investigator in the field of cardiac physiology.
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(1924) Dr. White helped establish the American Heart Association and served as Executive Director of the National Advisory Heart Council to oversee creation of the National Institutes of Health.
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(1928) Mass General Hospital physicians performed the first operation in the United States to relieve constrictive pericarditis, a condition in which the membranous sac around the heart stiffens and constrains the heart’s ability to pump.
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(1949) A new diagnostic modality, cardiac catheterization, was introduced. Through collaborative work, Massachusetts General Hospital became a leader in the surgical treatment of valvular and congenital heart disease.
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(1956) Mass General Hospital cardiac physicians first used a technique called extracorporeal circulation to repair a heart defect in an infant.
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(1964) Dr. Edgar Haber began his career as Chief of Cardiology. His work made Mass General Hospital a vanguard in cardiovascular research. He pioneered the use of antibodies as diagnostic and therapeutic tools, and antibodies to myofibrillar components for nuclear scans.
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(1969) Mass General Hospital cardiac surgeons collaborated in the development of intra-aortic balloon catheter, the first commercially successful temporary aortic-assist device.
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(1990) Mass General Hospital Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) was founded. The CVRC is now a prominent science institute and an integral part of the cardiology research spectrum.
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(1993) The first combined heart-liver transplant operation in New England was performed.
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(1999) A six-room cardiac catheterization laboratory, equipped with modern digital imaging technology opened.
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(1999) Researchers from the Mass General Hospital Cardiac Ultrasound Laboratory reported that mitral valve prolapse, an abnormality of a heart valve, does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of stroke among young people. This discovery was based on an improved understanding of the valve’s shape and function, both developed at Mass General Hospital.
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(1999) Mass General Hospital offered the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary center for the treatment of thoracic aortic diseases in the United States.
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(2001) The cardiology division opened a new electrophysiology lab with the latest cardiac arrhythmia diagnostic and treatment technology.
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(2002) The Laboratory for Integrative Physiology and Imaging opened. This state of the art investigative center incorporates catheterization and MRI technologies to invent new tools for precise and early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
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(2004) The Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care opened, allowing cardiology patients to receive outstanding outpatient care in a new location, equipped with the most advanced diagnostic technology.
- (2005) Research teams in the Cardiovascular Research Center discovered "progenitor cells" (similar to stem cells) in the heart. These cells are capable of generating functioning heart muscle cells.
Request an appointment at the Heart Center 
Call the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center outpatient access nurse at 866-MGH-8910
