Maryland Heart Center

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

What is Coronary Artery Disease? | Causes and Risk Factors | Signs and Symptoms | Diagnosing CAD | Treatments-Medical & Surgical Options

Treatments - Medical Management and Surgical Options

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UM Heart Center is one of only a few centers worldwide performing totally endoscopic minimally invasive coronary artery bypass (TECAB) surgery. This breakthrough treatment requires no incision or chest opening.

This short video shows how Angioplasty is used to open narrowed or blocked arteries caused by deposits of plaque
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Medical Management

Using a multi-disciplinary approach, our cardiologists combine medications with dietary management, lifestyle modification, smoking cessation, exercise, and cholesterol level management to stabilize current heart disease and minimize the risk of future cardiac conditions.

Catheter-Based Options

University of Maryland Heart Center's experienced team of interventional cardiologists performs hundreds of procedures annually in a suite of state-of-the-art, digital cardiac catheterization laboratories.

The following are catheter-based options for treating CAD, all of which are performed in the University of Maryland Heart Center laboratories:

Coronary Angioplasty: A procedure utilizing a balloon to open or widen blocked coronary arteries, improving blood flow to the heart.
Peripheral Angioplasty: A multidisciplinary approach combining the expertise of vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists and cardiologists, used to treat blocked peripheral vessels and improve blood flow to the extremities.
Stenting: A coronary stent implant involves placing a small mesh-like wire tube in a narrowed artery to keep it open and expanded. The stent is left permanently in the artery and it is often done following angioplasty. The University of Maryland Heart Center has access to the latest stent technology, including drug treated stents.
Coronary Atherectomy: The removal of plaque from arteries.
Brache: Intracoronary radiation therapy for treatment of restenois.

After treatment in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, dedicated nurses and nurse practitioners care for patients in recovery suites, where Maryland Heart Center surgeons are available for immediate consultation.

Surgical Options

Offering traditional and minimally invasive approaches to coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG -- coronary artery bypass grafting), our experienced cardiac surgeons are pioneering approaches to reduce side effects, speed recovery and improve patient outcomes.

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Bypass Program

The University of Maryland Heart Center's has a highly active, minimally invasive cardiac bypass program, and is one of the only centers in the world to perform totally endoscopic (no incision) minimally invasive coronary artery bypass (TECAB) surgery.

Program director Dr. Johannes Bonatti is recognized as one of the world's most experienced in minimally invasive coronary operations using the da Vinci robot. He has performed more than 300 robotic heart surgeries, most of which were the TECAB procedure.

Other Coronary Artery Bypass Procedures (On and Off-Pump)

Keyhole surgery (MIDCAB): This minimally invasive procedure requires just a 2-3 inch incision instead of splitting the chest open.

Hybrid Procedure: A pioneering advance that combines minimally invasive bypass surgery and stented angioplasty in one operation. The UM Heart Center is one of the first in the U.S. to perform this intervention.

Traditional Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Endovascular Vein Harvest: This technique uses a small incision and camera to harvest a vein from the patient's leg that will be used to replace the blocked vessels of the heart. This minimally invasive procedure replaces an open incision technique and offers fewer incisions, less discomfort, reduced risk of infection and improved recovery time.

Laser Revascularization (Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization): This procedure treats patients with coronary artery disease, angina, or chest pain who are not candidates for angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery. The procedure involves using a laser to make "channels", or small holes, directly into the heart muscle through a small incision. The outside of the heart muscle seals up immediately. In time, as these channels heal, they promote the growth of new small vessels or capillaries by a process known as angiogenesis. The procedure stimulates the heart muscle and is effective in controlling pain. It can be used alone or with coronary artery bypass.

This page was last updated on: August 12, 2008.

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