Coronary artery disease care in Middle Tennessee

If you have advanced heart disease, you may be considered high risk for surgery or other traditional treatments. The heart care team at Ascension Saint Thomas Heart specializes in coronary interventions that open arteries and increase blood flow to relieve symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Our advanced coronary therapeutics program provides care for patients with:

• Chronic total occlusions
• Complex and multivessel coronary artery disease, including:
  • Blockages that require plaque modification
  • Bypass graft stenosis
  • Coronary bifurcation lesions
  • In-stent restenosis
  • Left main coronary stenosis
  • Mechanical circulatory support for patients with heart failure or at high risk

Every appointment starts with a conversation about how you are feeling, including new symptoms and concerns. Then, your heart surgeon will work with you to create a personalized surgical care plan — from surgery to recovery and cardiac rehabilitation.

Advanced care for in-stent restenosis

Ascension Saint Thomas Heart is a national leader in minimally invasive approaches to treat heart artery problems. When you have a blocked artery, your doctor may insert a stent to help open the vessel. Over time, scar tissue or cholesterol can build up inside the stent, leading to a condition called in-stent restenosis. Your experienced heart care team provides minimally invasive techniques, including laser atherectomy and intracoronary brachytherapy, to treat this condition.

Laser atherectomy is a catheter-based procedure that uses laser light energy to soften plaque clogging your artery. Intracoronary brachytherapy uses radiation to prevent scar tissue from returning after the plaque is softened and the stent is re-expanded. This helps to reduce chest pain and lower the risk of your stent narrowing again.

Chronic total occlusion for clogged arteries

A chronic total occlusion (CTO) is a complex heart condition with a 100% blockage in one or more coronary arteries. Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, and a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Heart specialists at Ascension Saint Thomas Heart provide advanced diagnostic testing to help you better understand your condition. Your doctor may recommend:

• Coronary angiography
• Coronary stenting
• Echocardiogram
• Heart surgery
• Laboratory tests
• Stress and viability tests

Your cardiologists at Ascension Saint Thomas Heart are part of a national team of doctors who share best practices and research, and collaborate on advanced treatment options for complex heart care.

Experienced heart care team

Interventional cardiologists Jimmy Kerrigan, MD, and Elias Haddad, MD, provide compassionate, personalized heart care and often collaborate with heart surgeons Ashok Babu, MD, Clay Kaiser, MD, and Amber Edwards, MD, on minimally invasive bypass techniques.