Understanding coronary artery disease treatment options is important for us all, but particularly for adults and seniors who are at higher risk.
Let’s explore how vascular surgeons manage this prevalent condition, ensuring you receive the best coronary artery disease treatment.
What Is Coronary Artery Disease?
Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the elastic blood vessels which supply blood to the heart muscle become narrowed or blocked. This blockage is due to fatty plaque buildup. Plaque reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood, which is essential for the functioning of vital organs such as the brain, kidneys, and heart.
Who Is Affected by Coronary Artery Disease?
Adults and senior adults are primarily affected by coronary artery disease. In fact, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, reports the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Risk factors such as genetics and pre-existing health conditions can increase risk across various age groups. Understanding these risk factors is key to prevention and early medical intervention.
Groups that typically are at risk for CAD are:
- Those with a family history of this serious medical condition.
- Smokers.
- Those people who are overweight and/or sedentary.
- Individuals with diabetes, high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, or high cholesterol levels.
- Men over 45 and women over 55.
- Those who consume high levels of fat, sugar and salt in their day-to-day diet.
- People with high levels of life stress and alcohol consumption.
What Are the Common Symptoms of CAD?
The symptoms of coronary artery disease often include:
- Chest pain or angina, a heavy or squeezing sensation (or for women, jaw pain).
- Shortness of breath during physical activities, such as climbing stairs.
- Tiredness, or a general feeling of fatigue or weakness.
Recognizing these symptoms early on can prevent severe complications such as strokes or heart attacks. However, many people show no appreciable symptoms of coronary artery disease until a major event, such as a heart attack, happens.
As such, adults should have annual physical examinations with their primary care physicians to check on their heart and overall health. Prevention is truly the best way to ensure you have good cardiovascular function for life.
How Will My Doctor Test Me for CAD?
Diagnosing CAD involves a combination of your medical history, family history, and specific assessments. Common diagnostic tests include:
- EKG (Electrocardiogram), a quick and well-tolerated in-office test that detects and traces the electrical activity of the heart.
- Stress test, an in-office or in-hospital assessment that reveals heart function during physical stress, such as walking a treadmill.
- Echocardiogram, a painless assessment that uses ultrasound waves to create images of the heart and its function in real-time.
How Do Vascular Surgeons Treat Coronary Artery Disease?
Coronary artery disease may be treated in a number of different ways. Much depends on how serious the diagnosis is, how old the patient may be and if there are co-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes. If arterial blockages are serious, surgery is likely to be a first-line option for treatment.
As with any medical condition, early detection yields the best results. Most patients with CAD should make some changes to their lifestyles such as smoking cessation, exercise, and a heart-healthy diet. Medications, such as beta blockers to control blood pressure or statins to lower cholesterol levels, are common components of care plans for coronary artery disease.
How Successful Are Surgical Treatments for Coronary Artery Disease?
The success rate of surgical treatments depends on the severity of the disease and individual patient risk factors. As needed, vascular surgeons employ several interventional procedures to treat CAD, often using advanced imaging techniques.
Treatment options include:
- Stenting, in which the vascular surgeon inserts a small tube into the blocked coronary artery to allow blood to flow through it.
- Atherectomy, a surgery that removes plaque from peripheral arteries (in the extremities).
- Brachytherapy, a minimally invasive procedure using targeted (and implanted) radiation.
- Cardiac bypass grafting, a major surgery which redirects blood flow around a blocked artery by means of a healthy blood vessel harvested from another part of the body.
- Angioplasty, in which the vascular surgeon inserts a catheter and a balloon to widen the interior of a blocked artery.
The vascular surgeon, patient, and primary care physician decide together what treatment plan would be best. It is tailored to the patient’s specific health needs and risks and his or her desired outcomes.
General and Vascular Surgery in Sarasota, FL
Intercoastal Medical Group offers comprehensive care through an experienced team of general surgeons, vascular surgeons, and cardiologists. We provide the latest coronary artery and peripheral artery assessments and treatments.
If you are concerned about your vascular health, call the Intercoastal Medical Group office nearest you to arrange your in-office consultation. You may also fill out our secure appointment request form here.
We are committed to offering preventive care and coronary artery disease treatment options to enhance and maintain your cardiac health. We look forward to supporting you on your health journey.
