Cardiovascular Medical and Surgical Treatment
Have you been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease?If advanced diagnostic tests and screenings indicate a serious cardiovascular condition, your physician may recommend urgent treatment and surgery which might include the following:
- Cardiac catheterization procedures
- Angioplasty may be done if the arteries of the heart become clogged from a buildup of cells, fats and cholesterol called plaque. Angioplasty is the procedure that allows a cardiologist to use a balloon technique to open up the artery, allowing blood to flow to the heart tissue again, without opening the chest.
- Stenting involves inserting a small, coil-like device, or stent, at the site of the blockage to help keep the artery open and reduce the likelihood that a new blockage will develop.
- Atherectomy may be an option for patients who have have hardened blockages. A high-speed drill on the tip of a catheter is used to "shave" plaque from artery walls.
- Surgery
- Coronary artery bypass consists of a vascular conduit that is placed to allow blood to travel around an obstruction in a coronary artery. The new conduit may make use of a piece of vein or artery that has been removed from another part of the body. The top end of the graft is attached to the aorta. The bottom end is attached to the coronary artery beyond the obstruction. After bypass surgery, patients report remarkably little pain. The chest incision is in the midline and does not result in the cutting of any muscles. The leg incision, if a vein is taken from the leg, is a bit uncomfortable when the patient begins to ambulate on the first post-operative day. At Condell, physicians make several short incisions in the leg to remove a segment of vein; this reduces leg discomfort a great deal. For more information, see the frequently asked questions about open heart surgery.
Click here for more information - Off-pump coronary surgery allows the heart to sustain circulation during open heart surgery and eliminates the bypass pump used in traditional open heart surgery, making this a more desirable or safe surgical option.
In certain circumstances the surgeon is able to perform surgery without the use of the bypass pump. With this approach, the heart systains circulation during surgery. The surgeon determines if off pump surgery is an appropriate option for the patient. Off pump surgery is known to be safe and reduce post operative complications. - Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is used for patients whose hearts are too weak to be weaned from the bypass machine during and immediately after surgery. LVAD is also used as a temporary measure for chronic heart failure patients to help reshape the ventricle for improved performance and circulation.
- Valve replacement or repair