Coronary Artery Disease Program

Our Approach

Anyone with coronary heart disease can benefit from the expertise within the Coronary Artery Disease Program at Renai Hospital Heart Center. Patients are often referred here if their current medical treatment is not working or if they have a coronary arteriogram that is of concern to the referring cardiologist.

Treatments and Procedures

The Coronary Artery Disease Program is made up of a highly experienced clinical team that plans and applies a treatment process that is tailored to each patient's condition, age, symptoms and risk factors. Physicians draw upon several diagnostic tests and procedures to determine the best line of treatment. These diagnostic procedures include:

Cardiac CT scanning

Echocardiography

Cardiac catheterization

Intravascular ultrasound

Nuclear perfusion imaging

PET imaging

Managing Complex Conditions

Patients with the following conditions in addition to coronary artery disease may particularly benefit:

Diabetes

Metabolic syndrome

Renal insufficiency (kidney failure)

Lung disease

Our physicians are at the forefront when it comes to the latest treatment and therapies for coronary artery disease. Some of the advanced treatments and procedures offered within the Coronary Artery Disease Program include:

High-risk coronary artery interventions

Chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO PCI)

Off-pump (beating heart) bypass procedures, in addition to traditional bypass surgery

Percutaneous coronary intervention

Minimally invasive techniques and medications to control symptoms

Coronary artery disease prevention

Specialized care for women's heart conditions

Coordinated, Patient-Centered Care

Each patient is assigned one physician to oversee his or her care while at Renai Heart Center. Care is coordinated so it is as convenient as possible for patients - office consults and any additional testing indicated are scheduled on the same day if possible.

For those who need to be hospitalized, there are five cardiac units especially geared to the level of patient care needed.  From the operating room, patients go to the Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit and, when ready, to the Cardiac Surgical Step-down Unit. Each unit is staffed with specially trained nurses who have the clinical expertise as well as the compassion to support patients.

About This Program

At the Coronary Artery Disease Program at Renai Hospital Heart Center, patients benefit from a collective recommendation made by a team of three cardiac specialists. This multidisciplinary team includes a clinical cardiologist, an interventional cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon. This approach affords each patient the benefit of a balanced, comprehensive assessment of his or her clinical problem.

State-of-the-Art Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

Specialists within our state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory provide advanced treatments for coronary artery disease. Procedures performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory include:

Intravascular ultrasound

Balloon angioplasty

Stenting

Rotational and directional atherectomy

Clot removal and distal protection devices

Chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO PCI)

Our leading interventional cardiologists also perform "unprotected" left main coronary artery and other high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions that use intraaortic balloon or percutaneous left ventricular support devices.

Experienced in Beating Heart Surgery

Physicians at the Coronary Artery Disease Program are experienced in using beating heart surgery to treat patients who are at high risk for coronary artery bypass surgeries (CABG) using conventional cardiopulmonary bypass.

Our surgeons stabilize a portion of the heart with special instruments while permitting normal blood flow through the heart. This procedure is known as beating heart surgery, or off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Beating heart surgery is often desirable because it prevents the use of clamping on the body's main blood vessels. Some patients who undergo beating heart surgery experience shorter surgeries, remove their breathing tubes sooner after surgery and experience shorter intensive care unit stays than traditional patients.

Conditions and Diseases

The care team at Renai encourages all patients and family members to learn more about conditions and diseases that affect the heart and overall cardiovascular system.

Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease occurs when cholesterol builds up within the walls of the heart's arteries (coronary arteries), forming what is called plaque.

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when one or more regions of the heart muscle experience a severe or prolonged lack of oxygen caused by blocked blood flow to the heart muscle.