Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery

United Regional Health Care System is dedicated to fostering a healthy and thriving community, with a commitment to high-quality care from our expert team members.

Our cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons are well-equipped for traditional procedures as well as advanced techniques that can lead to better patient outcomes and faster recovery. These advanced techniques include the use of lasers to extract pacemaker leads, beating heart surgery, and endovascular aneurysm repair.

Cardiovascular surgeons are medical doctors who specialize in heart and blood vessel surgeries. They treat people who have blockages in the blood vessels leading to the heart (coronary artery disease) or problems with heart valves.

Along with heart surgeries, our thoracic surgeons oversee the operative management, perioperative care, and critical care of patients with pathological conditions within the chest. Our experts are knowledgeable in diagnosing and operating on intrathoracic (within the thorax) abnormalities.

Some conditions treated include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Cancers of the lung, esophagus, and chest wall
• Abnormalities of the great vessels and heart valves
• Congenital anomalies
• Tumors of the mediastinum
• Diseases of the diaphragm
• Injuries to the chest

Thoracic surgery will require a general referral, and cardiovascular surgery will require a referral from your cardiologist.  

United Regional Health Care System continually invests in new technologies and surgical experts to bring added value, safety, and expertise to our community. 

Beating Heart Surgery

Where traditional coronary artery bypass surgery would require a heart-lung machine to take over for the heart functions as it is stopped, this procedure allows the heart and lungs to continue to function. Our surgeons use a tissue stabilization system to immobilize the area of the heart that will be operated on. This method has been proven to reduce mortality, bleeding, and stroke, and can lead to an earlier release from the hospital.

Laser Procedures

Another advancement in this specialty is the use of laser procedures. Occasionally, there is a need to remove pacemakers and leads (wires attached to the heart). In cases requiring lead extraction, lasers can be used to help avoid the need for open-heart surgery. In removal by laser, only a small incision over the pacemaker or defibrillator site is used, reducing the risks of surgical intervention. 

Endovascular Stent Grafting

United Regional Health Care System also offers treatment of many thoracic and abdominal aneurysms with a minimally invasive procedure called an endovascular stent graft. Endovascular stent grafting, or endovascular aneurysm repair, is a surgical procedure performed inside the aorta using a thin tube called a delivery catheter. Unlike open surgery, which involves a long cut in your abdomen, endovascular surgery requires only two small incisions in the groin area. This procedure is generally less painful and lowers the risk of complications. Due to these factors, patients may be able to leave the hospital sooner with a faster recovery.