Coronary artery disease, which is also called coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease, is the biggest cause of death in the United States.

The Cardiovascular Center at Shands at UF uses the latest research, diagnostic tools, medications and procedures. to prevent and treat coronary artery disease, When surgical intervention is necessary, the thoracic and cardiovascular team offers coronary artery bypass surgery, with and without cardiopulmonary bypass (known as on- or off-pump bypass).

Learn more about:

• Coronary Artery Disease
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Shands at UF Difference

About Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease is caused by cholesterol deposits, or plaque,  collecting on the interior linings of the heart’s arteries . Coronary artery disease can lead to angina perctoris, heart attack or sudden death. Mild or intense pain during exercise is often the hallmark of angina pectoris, a signal that narrowed arteries are preventing the heart from getting enough oxygen.

Even fleeting angina requires attention, because as plaque continues to build over time, a clot forms on top of the fatty deposit, further restricting blood flow. If the flow is not restored quickly, a part of the heart muscle dies—a heart attack.

In another complication, coronary artery disease may cause an abnormal heart rhythm, called ventricular fibrillation. This prevents the heart from contracting and stops all blood flow to the heart and the other vital organs. Unless the patient receives CPR and defibrillation to restart the heart, the patient will die.

Diagnosis

Cholesterol and blood pressure readings are the first tools in diagnosing heart disease. When symptoms raise concerns, the diagnostic imaging technologies available at Shands at UF allow the cardiovascular specialists to get a better view of the heart and heart vessels.

Tests include:

• coronary angiography, an X-ray of the heart arteries using contrasting dye
• nuclear myocardial imaging that uses radioactive tracers to highlight blood flow to the heart muscle
• echocardiography, which sends sound waves into the body creating an image of heart muscle and valve function.

Treatment

Lifestyle changes and medications, including clot-dissolving drugs, beta blockers, nitrates and statins, are used to treat coronary heart disease and its complications.

When surgical intervention is necessary to improve blood flow to the heart, the thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons may perform coronary bypass surgery.

Coronary Bypass Surgery

• If one or more of the main blood vessels feeding the heart is blocked, coronary artery bypass surgery may be necessary. During this surgical procedure, one or more blocked coronary arteries are bypassed by a blood vessel graft to restore normal blood flow to the heart. These grafts usually come from the patient’s own arteries and veins located in the chest (thoracic), leg (saphenous) or arm (radial). The graft goes around the blocked artery or arteries to create new pathways for oxygen-rich blood to flow to the heart.
• Traditionally, coronary artery bypass surgery is performed with the assistance of cardiopulmonary bypass. This “heart-lung” machine maintains life while allowing the heart’s beating to be stopped, so that the surgeon can operate on a surface that is blood-free and still.
• Technologies are allowing many more patients to undergo “off-pump” coronary bypass in which new kinds of operating equipment allow the surgeon to stabilize portions of the heart during surgery. With a particular area of the heart stabilized, the surgeon can bypass the blocked artery while the rest of the heart keeps pumping and circulating blood to the body.

The Shands at UF Difference

UF thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons at Shands at UF have been trained in the latest surgical techniques, including minimally invasive procedures and off-pump coronary bypass surgery. As part of a major academic medical center, the UF at Shands team works to validate the procedures designed to give patients the best outcomes.Our patients can be assured they are receiving the most current and most effective treatment options available today.

Information

For more information about Shands at UF Heart Care or to schedule a new patient appointment, please call 800.749.7424 or 352.265.0943.

Heart Care at Shands at UF

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About Heart Care at Shands at UF

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Make an Appointment

To make a new patient appointment or find out more information about heart care services offered at Shands at the University of Florida, please call 352.265.0943 .

You may also email our Consultation Center (consult@shands.ufl.edu) or use our secure online form.