Cardio-Thoracic (Heart and Chest)
The Cardio-Thoracic Procedures our doctors and perform fall under two categories:
- Aortic Stent Grafts: grafting of a mesh tube (stent) into a vessel to create new vessel walls to treat adbominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).
- Carotid Artery Stenting: placement of a mesh tube (stent) to open and support a carotid artery that has collapsed or been narrowed by plaque buildup.
Aortic Stent Grafts
In the case of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a section of the aorta has a weakened area of vessel wall that has stretched out and developed into a bulge that pulses with each beat of your heart. This bulge can eventually rupture, which can cause death. Aneurysms that are greater than 5cm in size are generally treated via surgery or aortic stent graft. A stent graft is a stent that is placed into the blood vessel at the area of the aneurysm not to widen the artery, but to create a sturdy replacement vessel wall to contain the blood flow.
Aortic stent grafting is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. The procedure takes one to two hours and a short hospital stay is expected.
Carotid Artery Stenting
Stents can be placed in the carotid arteries, which are located on either side of your neck and carry blood to your brain, face, and scalp. Placing stents in the carotid arteries keeps them open to prevent a restriction of blood flow that can cause a stroke and possibly death. Freely flowing blood in the carotid arteries also prevents mini-strokes, called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which are caused by blood clots blocking tiny arteries in the brain.
Carotid artery stent placement is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform in our freestanding facility. The procedure takes about an hour and no overnight stay is required.