Small patches are placed on the patient’s chest, arms, and legs to monitor the electrical activity of the heart. An electrocardiogram shows how fast the heart is beating, the rhythm of the heart beats, and the timing of electrical impulses as they move through the different parts of the heart.
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About complex coronary artery disease
Mass General Brigham Heart provides the most advanced care for complex coronary artery disease, including patients with underlying conditions like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, renal insufficiency (kidney failure), and lung disease.
Our multi-disciplinary team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons offer comprehensive inpatient and outpatient clinical services. We develop in-depth treatment plans tailored for each patient’s condition, age, symptoms and risk factors, drawing upon diagnostic tests and procedures to determine the best line of treatment. We offer the latest cutting-edge treatments, from innovative diagnostics to state-of-the-art medical, interventional, and surgical therapies, as well as clinical trials.
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Complex coronary artery disease conditions we treat
- Chronic total occlusion
- Coronary artery calcification
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
- Unstable angina
Complex coronary artery disease symptoms
Symptoms may include:
- Chest pain (angina) or tightness
- Fatigue
- Heart attack
- Shortness of breath
Diagnosis of complex coronary artery disease
Complex coronary artery disease is diagnosed through advanced imaging techniques by dedicated cardiac imaging specialists. Tests used in diagnosis may include:
A cardiac catheterization is used to evaluate many heart diseases, including coronary artery disease. During the procedure, a small hollow tube, known as a catheter, is put into a patient’s body via a blood vessel in the groin or arm and guided through the aorta into the heart. Once the catheter is in place, several diagnostic techniques may be used, including an angiogram.
During an angiogram, a special dye is injected into the blood vessels of a patient’s heart, via the catheter. This dye allows an X-ray machine to visualize the flow of blood through the heart muscle, helping doctors to determine the location and severity of any occlusions (blockages) in the blood vessels.
Cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive test used to evaluate various parts of the heart. During the scan, an X-ray machine rotates around a patient’s body while they lie on a table.
High frequency sound waves are used to create a clear image of the heart, allowing a doctor to monitor the patient’s heart structure and function. There are several types of echocardiograms that can be used to assess various aspects of the heart, including the flow of blood, the function and position of different heart structures, the overall size and health of the heart and major blood vessels, and the thickness of heart walls. Echocardiograms may be performed in conjunction with other tests, such as exercise stress tests.
During an exercise stress test, a patient exercises on either a treadmill or a stationary bike to raise their heart rate and blood pressure. The exercise intensity gradually increases until the patient becomes fatigued. Blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate are monitored throughout the test, with oxygen saturation monitored in some cases. If a patient cannot perform the test physically, medications can be used to simulate exercise.
Following a cardiac stress test either from exercise or induced via medication, your doctor will use nuclear medicine imaging to observe your heart. These tests can provide information about blood flow to the heart muscle at rest and during stress, any previous damage to the heart muscle (e.g. from a previous heart attack), and the heart’s ability to pump blood. The type of test used depends on your medical history, current condition(s), and overall health.
Approach to treatment for complex coronary artery disease
Our specialists offer pioneering treatments for patients with the most serious forms of coronary artery disease, who have often been turned down for bypass surgery, turned down for stenting, or told there were no options to treat their coronary blockages. Our physicians develop the latest treatments and therapies for coronary artery disease. Depending on the diagnosis, medical interventions or surgical procedures may be suggested.
- Coronary artery disease prevention, including lifestyle changes like diet and exercise
- Medications to control symptoms, including statins, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors
- Minimally invasive techniques, such as coronary angioplasty, key-hole surgery, and robotic surgery
- High-risk coronary artery interventions
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
- Chronic total occlusion PCI (CTO PCI)
- Off-pump (beating heart) bypass procedures
- Beating heart surgery
- Bypass surgery
- Brachytherapy
- Contrast sparing options
- Radiation sparing options
CTO PCI is a procedure performed by experienced cardiac interventionalists with specialized training in advanced methods to treat CTO blockages. Only 1-2% of cardiac interventionalists in the U.S. can perform the full range of CTO PCI. Mass General Brigham is one of the few centers in the U.S. to use a combination of antegrade (forward-moving, including dissection/re-entry) and retrograde (backward-moving) approaches to access blockages.
When a blockage occurs, new blood vessels known as collateral blood vessels are formed around the blockage to help with blood flow. Using advanced guide wires, our surgeons insert a catheter into these collateral vessels, entering the blocked artery from multiple sides. Using a technique called balloon angioplasty, a small uninflated balloon is placed at the tip of the catheter and inflated while in the artery. This approach, along with stents, is used to create a wider opening in the arteries to restore blood flow. The procedures vary in duration from 2 to 5 hours, depending on the complexity of the blockages. All patients are admitted to the hospital overnight after the procedure in order to be monitored.
During a complete arterial revascularization (also known as total arterial revascularization), a surgeon harvests an artery from elsewhere in your body, usually from your arm or your chest, and uses it as a graft to connect your aorta to your coronary arteries. This procedure restores blood flow to the heart muscle and is an option for patients who may not be good candidates for bypass surgery. Arterial revascularization may lead to more durable results than venous grafts, as the stronger walls of the arteries are better able to withstand the blood flow coming from the aorta. This approach is therefore most valuable in younger patients.
As complete arterial revascularization is a form of open-heart surgery, your care team will monitor you carefully in the hospital to ensure no postoperative complications have occurred: full recovery may take several months.
