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Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is a condition in which plaque has built up inside the coronary arteries, restricting blood flow and oxygen to the heart. Without enough oxygen, you may experience angina, or chest pain. Heart attacks occur when blood flow to an area of the heart is completely blocked. CAD can also lead to arrhythmias and heart failure. Treatments A number of medications can be used to treat the pain of angina and help improve blood flow to the heart. Interventional cardiac procedures such as angioplasty, stenting, artherectomy and ablation may also be used to open carotid arteries. In more severe cases, physicians may elect to perform a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Each year, 700 CABG procedures are performed at Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute-TMC, to treat such disorders as unstable angina, acute coronary syndrome, non-ST segment elevation and heart attack. Surgeons at the Institute utilize the least invasive techniques possible to achieve the best results – reduced pain, less blood loss, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times. Our scope of expertise includes: - Advanced Stenting Techniques - Physicians at the Institute have a high level of expertise in carotid and multivessel stenting. Stents are used after angioplasty to keep the artery open. Our use of drug-eluting stents releases a medication that prevents scarring after insertion and helps prevent restenosis, blockage of the treated vessel.
- Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass - The off-pump procedure provides a safer alternative to the heart-lung machine. Surgeons attach the bypass grafts to the blocked arteries of the beating heart, a technique that leads to faster recovery. Bypass grafting with all-arterial conduits instead of veins, is also being performed off-pump, which may provide better long-term survival.
- Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass
- Robotic-Assisted Coronary Artery Bypass - This relatively new technological advance provides access to the coronary arteries without opening the sternum. The surgeon does not have direct contact with the patient but guides robotic instrumentation via a video monitor.
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