Overview
Stents are minimally invasive, and may only require one night in the hospital. A beating heart bypass is major surgery that employs a device to stabilise a small area of your beating heart.
Which Treatment Is Right for You?
You can do a lot to control cardiovascular disease by taking medication, changing your diet, and making other lifestyle changes. But sometimes, those changes aren’t enough to reduce the effects of clogged arteries. When that is the case, or if you have a heart attack or other symptoms of coronary artery disease, your doctor may suggest that you see a cardiologist.
To determine what treatment is right for you, your cardiologist will take a number of factors into consideration, including your age, your cardiovascular condition, the condition of your coronary arteries, your overall medical condition, and your health history. After a series of tests, your cardiologist may suggest angioplasty, stenting, or coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).
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Your Healthcare Team
If you are a candidate for coronary artery disease treatment, your cardiology team will be involved at every stage of the procedure. Depending on the therapy, the team may consist of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, radiologists, anaesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, and other specialists as needed.
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Surgery: What to Expect
Unless you are faced with a medical emergency, you will have time to learn about your surgery, what to expect, and how to prepare. Take an active role in learning about the procedure, so that when your doctor explains the surgery to you, you may already be somewhat familiar with the procedure.
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Questions and Answers
Before surgery, your doctor will give you a medical examination, take your medical history, and talk to you about the treatment procedure. This is a good opportunity to ask your doctor about any questions and discuss any concerns that you have. The more you know, the more confident and comfortable you will be during treatment.
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More: Bypass surgery
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.