Coronary Artery Disease

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Conditions & Treatments

Einstein Healthcare Network’s heart surgeons stand out in the region as one of the leading teams for treatment of arterial and vascular disease. Recognized for innovation in diagnosing and treating treat time-sensitive heart conditions as quickly as possible, our surgeons deliver exceptional care for coronary artery disease and resulting cardiac events.

Coronary artery disease (CAD), which has very few warning signs, is the most common type of heart disease, and is caused by a buildup of plaque along the walls of an artery. This buildup occurs over many years as cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium and clotting agents in the blood stick to your arterial walls. In time, arteries harden, narrow and restrict the flow of blood to the rest of the body. The reduced blood flow and potential for blockages can lead to serious conditions such as arrhythmias, heart failure, heart attack and cardiac arrest.

Procedures

Our skilled team of heart surgeons are experts in procedures to treat coronary artery disease, including the following:

Minimally-Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting provides a way to unblock clogged arteries. If you have a limited number of blockages, your doctor may recommend a minimally invasive procedure, where small incisions are made to the side of your chest, arm or groin. To create blood flow around a blockage, your surgeon will take arteries or veins from the leg or chest, and graft around the affected area. This allows blood to bypass the clot, creating a path around the blockage for blood to flow.

Minimally-invasive coronary artery bypass grafting allows patients:

Shorter hospital stays (2–3 days vs. a week for traditional surgery)
Faster healing time
Smaller incisions, reducing the risk of infection
Less blood loss
Quicker recovery
Less scarring

Traditional Open-Heart Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

Traditional open-heart coronary artery bypass grafting works best for patients with many blockages. The surgeon will cut through the breastbone and then separate the ribs. With clear access to the chest area, the surgeon will perform grafts, using veins or arteries from the leg or chest. As with any open-heart surgery, this is a major procedure that will require about a week in the hospital, up to six weeks out of work, and cardiac rehabilitation.

Hybrid Revascularization

Hybrid revascularization is an approach that takes advantage of stenting (angioplasty) of some blocked coronary arteries in combination with CABG surgery.