The Dream
t was a dream come true for Potenciano V. Larrazabal, Jr., MD, President and Chairman of the Board of the Cebu Doctors' Hospital. For the past two decades, he envisioned a heart center for the people of Cebu and this region of the Philippines.

On Novermber 17, 1997, after more than two years of planning and development, and after its official incorporation in 1996, the Cebu Cardiovascular Center was blessed and inaugurated. The first open-heart surgery was performed at the Center on November 21, 1997 by Philip S. Chua, MD, a well-known Filipino cardiac surgeon in the United States, who trained under the world-renowned heart-transplant surgeon, Denton A. Cooley, MD, at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas.

The Cebu Cardiovascular Center is a joint venture between the Cebu Doctors' Hospital and the Philippine Heart, Inc. (U.S.A.), a registered Philippine holding company, founded and chaired by Dr. Chua of northwest Indiana and his team of cardiac surgeons and cardiac anesthesiologists.

The Mission
The objective of the Cebu Cardiovascular Center is to bring state-of-the-art medical technology in cardiovascular medicine and cardiovascular surgery from the United States to Cebu's doorstep for easier and more convenient access for the people of Cebu and neighboring regions of the Visayas and Mindanao.

The program stresses both the preventive and diagnostic aspects in the management of cardiovascular diseases, one of the world's greatest killers of man.

The Center's philosophy is to help teach and educate people, especially the youth, maintain good health and well-being by practicing healthy habits in their daily living.

The Program
The Cebu Cardiovascular Center of the Cebu Doctors' Hospital is a full service program with the following chairs: Philip S. Chua, MD, Chairman, Cardiovascular Surgery; Manuel T. Lim, MD, Chairman, Cardiovascular Medicine; Raul D. Lastimosa, MD, Head, Invasive Cardiology; Enrico B. Gruet, MD, Head, Non-invasive Cardiology.

Other Chiefs of Service include: Sister Elvira Theodore, SPC, Director of Nursing; Teresita V. Limchiu, MD, Laboratory; Romero Mario A. Villar, MD, Radiology; Leon James Young, Jr., MD, Pulmonary Medicine; Alexander Tan, Jr., MD, Nephrology; Rogelio H.C. Chua, MD, Neurology; Renald Peter T. Ramiro, MD, Rehabilitation Medicine; Erlino de Castro, MD, Anesthesia.

The entire south wing on the Third Floor of the Cebu Doctors' Hospital houses the newly-constructed and well-appointed Cebu Cardiovascular Center. The very pleasant decor and ambiance of the Center are calming even to the most anxious ailing patients.

Within the Center are a Non-invasive Laboratory, a Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, a Cine Viewing Room, a large Cardiovascular Operating Room, a two-bed cardiovascular post-operative recovery room, a five-bed cardiac intensive care unit, a comfortable, air-conditioned Family Waiting Room with cable TV, and a Cardiac Surgery office.

The Service
Both non-invasive and invasive services are available at the Cebu Cardiovascular Center. The non-invasive test procedures include Treadmill Stress Testing, Echocardiography with Doppler Study, Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography, Carotid Duplex Scanning, Arterial and Venous Doppler Studies of the Extremities, and Duplex Scanning of the Aorta and its Main Branches.

The invasive procedures are cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasty, pacemaker implantation, and electrophysiologic studies.

Coronary bypass, heart valve, and major blood vessel surgery are now available right here in Cebu, making this highly specialized medical care accessible to the community. The financial savings, family convenience, and peace of mind afforded by this new center to cardiovascular patients are priceless.