Q: Are there any alternatives to heart bypass surgery?
A: Coronary artery bypass surgery is the gold standard for coronary artery disease. This means the results are the best for the patient in terms of survival, chest pain, exercise tolerance and the likelihood of heart attack.
However, there many other ways to treat coronary artery disease and there are many unique problems and requirements that individual patients have.
Advances have been made in coronary stenting, which may be appropriate for certain patients. Recent advances in minimally invasive heart surgery techniques including robotic surgery may be a better alternative. I would suggest consulting with a cardiologist and cardiac surgeon familiar with these techniques to see what would be appropriate.
Dr. Allen Raczkowski practices Cardiothoracic Surgery and General Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital.