Lake Monroe Hospital expands heart treatment options in Seminole County

HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital has added heart treatments that once meant a transfer, a longer wait or a drive outside Sanford for many Seminole County patients. The hospital now offers transcatheter aortic valve replacement, better known as TAVR, along with new technology in its cardiac electrophysiology lab for atrial fibrillation care.

That matters in a county that is both growing and aging. Seminole County’s 2024 population estimate was 494,605, and 17.3% of residents were age 65 and older, a group more likely to face the valve disease and rhythm problems now being treated closer to home. The CDC says aortic stenosis affects about 5% of people 65 and older, while atrial fibrillation is the most common treated heart arrhythmia and raises stroke risk by four to five times.

Lake Monroe Hospital says it has served Seminole and West Volusia counties since opening in 1982, and HCA describes it as a 221-bed acute care hospital with the region’s only full-service cardiovascular program. Its heart-and-vascular line already includes open-heart surgery, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac rehabilitation and diagnostic testing, making the Sanford hospital a regional destination for patients who need more than routine care.

TAVR is the clearest example of how the expansion could change local decision-making. The procedure replaces a narrowed aortic valve through a catheter, usually inserted through a small groin incision, instead of opening the chest for traditional surgery. That approach is generally aimed at patients at higher surgical risk, which can mean fewer complications and a less disruptive recovery path for some patients who are not good candidates for open-heart surgery.

The electrophysiology upgrade is just as significant for day-to-day care. Atrial fibrillation can drive stroke and heart failure risk, so having more advanced treatment tools in Sanford can speed evaluation after a referral and reduce the need to route patients to larger facilities farther away. For families in Sanford, Lake Mary and nearby communities, that can affect not only travel time, but also how quickly care begins and how easily follow-up visits fit into work and family schedules.

The hospital said it was HCA Healthcare’s top performer in patient outcomes out of 64 TAVR programs nationwide, and the American Heart Association gave it a 2025 Get With The Guidelines Stroke GOLD PLUS Target: Honor Roll Elite Achievement. HCA Florida Healthcare also said the hospital earned a Healthgrades 2026 America’s 250 Best Hospitals designation in April 2026. Located at 1401 W. Seminole Blvd. in Sanford, the hospital is listed by FloridaHealthFinder as accredited by the Joint Commission, reinforcing its role as one of Seminole County’s most important cardiac care sites.