Heidelberg University Hospital, 14th among the World’s Best Hospitals according to the Newsweek 2025 ranking, is renowned for its specialized clinical care across all fields of medicine. Its world-class research and teaching activities ensure continuous progress and most up-to-date patient care.
The Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pulmonology has been regarded as a centre of innovation for cardiological research for decades. In its inpatient and outpatient clinic it offers all the latest diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patient care. The department has 3 intensive care units including a heart failure unit, 6 wards with 155 beds and 7 operating theatres and catheterization facilities for coronary, valvular and peripheral vascular interventions.
Areas of expertise
- Cardiac catheterization procedures
- Heart muscle diseases (at Institute for Cardiomyopathies ICH.)
- Heart valve diseases and TAVI / trans-catheter aortic valve implantation
- Cardiac MRI /magnetic resonance imaging
- Cardiac CT / computed tomography
- Heart failure and heart transplantation
- Arrhythmias and pacemaker systems (HCR / Hybrid Coronary Revascularisation)
- Angiology and venous thrombosis
- Lung diseases and shortness of breath
- Cardio-oncology
- Amyloidosis
The team, led by medical director Professor Dr. med. Norbert Frey, performs more than 3,000 PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) procedures, 600 TAVI, 200 mitral and tricuspid TEER (Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair), 20,000 echocardiograms and approximately 3,000 cardiac MRI scans each year.
- Medical Director of the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pulmonology at Heidelberg
University Hospital - Future president of the German Society of Cardiology
- Member of the Research Coordinating Committee of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research
- Main areas of research: Cardiomyopathies, heart failure, intensive care medicine arch.
“At our hospital, there is a close collaboration between Cardiology and Cardiovascular surgery as well as all other surgical and internal medicine departments to ensure the best personalized medical service,” explains Professor Frey.
In 2026, the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pulmonology, ranks 25th among the World’s Best Specialized Hospitals in Cardiology.
The special significance of cMRI
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) has undergone rapid development in recent years and plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis, treatment planning, and risk assessment of patients with heart diseases. Due to its high spatial and temporal resolution as well as excellent tissue depiction, cMRI allows for the excellent and accurate visualization and characterization of the composition and function of all heart and vascular components. As a non-invasive procedure that does not in volve ionizing radiation (X-rays), cMRI is also an extremely safe method, allowing for multiple follow-up examinations, such as in the case of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, it offers the advantage of being able to non-invasively characterize the tissue of the heart, which would otherwise only be possible through histological analysis after biopsy.
The Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pulmonology has been conducting cMRI examinations in Heidelberg since 2006, having performed over 40,000 examinations to date. The team has currently two modern MR devices at its disposal, dedicated exclusively to the performance of cMRIs in specially adapted facilities.
Prospects: construction of a new interdisciplinary heart centre
Heidelberg University Hospital is currently expanding its capacity and building a new heart centre that will bring together interdisciplinary treatment of patients with heart disease under one roof: from emergency and intensive care medicine to imaging and joint treatment strategies for congenital heart defects, heart valve disease, arrhythmias, and the implantation of electrical support systems, as well as heart transplants.
“Cardiology is a proven medical and scientific focus at Heidelberg University Hospital. By bringing together all of our cardiology expertise in a technically outstanding “smart hospital”, we will continue to expand this focus,” elaborates Professor Dr. Dr. Jürgen Debus, Chief Medical Director and Chairman of the Board.
Latest expansion of services: Outpatient clinic and cardiac MRI centre
The new outpatient clinic and cardiac MRI imaging centre of Heidelberg University Hospital provides a wide range of health services and covers the diagnostics and treatment for all types of cardiovascular diseases. It brings together the expertise of all cardiology subdisciplines in order to provide the best treatment for patients. Comprehensive expertise is available for coronary heart disease, heart failure, cardio-reno-metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemias, hypertension, cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, pacemaker and devices, angiology, pneumology, cardiac amyloidosis and sarcoidosis, myopericardial inflammatory disease, cardio-oncology and monitoring of cardiotoxicity during and after cancer therapies.
The cardiac imaging specialists provide a high level of expertise in cardiac MRI covering the entire spectrum of cardiovascular applications such as stress testing, MR angiography for aortic disease, quantitation of valvular pathologies and congenital heart defects.
Patients from all over the world place their trust in Heidelberg University Hospital and several thousand request diagnosis and treatment every year.
Services for international patients:
- Multilingual international team
- Online medical consultation
- Certified interpreters
- Support in obtaining a medical visa
Contact
Heidelberg University Hospital Medical International Office
International.Office@med.uni-heidelberg.de
www.heidelberg-university-hospital.com
