Coronary Artery Disease
Education, Intervention & Prevention
What is Coronary Artery Disease?
Almost 15 million people in the U.S. are affected by coronary artery disease,
and it remains the leading cause of death worldwide despite decades of
therapeutic advances.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when plaque causes narrowing or blockage
within the coronary arteries, limiting blood flow to the heart. Typical
symptoms include chest pain (angina), shortness of breath and fatigue.
Coronary artery disease presents in many forms, from sudden heart attacks
to chronic conditions resulting in congestive heart failure.
Treating Coronary Artery Disease
Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, VA has been a designated
Chest Pain Center since 2006, as recognized by the American College of Cardiology Accreditation
Services. On average, our patients experiencing a heart attack are diagnosed
and treated significantly faster than the national average. The sooner
a heart attack is treated, the less damage is sustained to the heart.
We work closely with local emergency medical services providers in order
to provide the best care. In fact, when an EMS unit arrives on the scene
of a patient with a heart attack, there is instant communication with
the WMC heart team. This allows the team to make preparations at the hospital
to receive the patient and provide the most rapid treatment.
Interventional cardiologists at Winchester Medical Center offer minimally-invasive
percutaneous procedures (performed through a needle puncture through the
skin) that use a catheter to direct a balloon or a stent to clear coronary
blockages and restore blood flow. Specially trained cardiologists on our
team offer procedures to open completely blocked, or occluded, coronary
arteries in patients with long-standing angina without open heart surgery.
We have a tradition of active participation in cardiovascular research
that has enabled us to apply innovative technology. Our team was among
the first in the country to use a new
bio-absorbable stent that does the intended repair in a clogged artery and then literally disappears
over time.
Resources
Valley Health offers
resources to teach you about heart disease and how to live a healthier lifestyle.
We are committed to teaching people to recognize and react to the early
symptoms of a heart attack, reducing the time it takes to receive treatment,
and increasing the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.