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
Valley Health hospitals are recognized for rapid, high-quality heart care.
Winchester Medical Center has been a designated
Chest Pain Center since 2006, as recognized by the American College of Cardiology Accreditation
Services.
Warren Memorial Hospital, Shenandoah Memorial Hospital, and Page Memorial
Hospital have also earned Chest Pain Center designation.
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 Valley Health
heart team. This allows the team to make preparations at the hospital
to receive the patient and provide the most rapid treatment.
How We Help
Our interventional cardiologists perform minimally invasive procedures
using catheters to place balloons or stents that open blocked arteries
and restore blood flow.
We operate cardiac catheterization laboratories at Winchester Medical Center
that include rooms dedicated to coronary intervention, cardiac devices,
electrophysiology procedures and complex hybrid procedures. We also operate
a catheterization lab at Warren Memorial Hospital offering diagnostic
procedures and non-surgical cardiac and vascular interventions.
Specially trained cardiologists at Winchester Medical Center provide procedures
to open completely blocked coronary arteries in patients with long-standing
angina—without open-heart surgery. Our team actively participates
in cardiovascular research, bringing innovative technology to patient care.
Managing Chronic Coronary Artery Disease
If you live with chronic coronary artery disease, our goal is to help you
feel better and maintain your quality of life. Treatment often begins
with medications to improve blood flow and reduce symptoms such as chest pain.
When medicines are not enough for patients with chronic stable angina,
we offer advanced options like
enhanced external counter-pulsation (EECP®) therapy. This non-invasive outpatient treatment gently compresses blood vessels
in your legs to
help more blood reach your heart. EECP can reduce angina and improve daily
comfort for people who have not found relief with other treatments.
Your care team will work with you to create a plan that fits your needs
and helps protect your heart for the long term.
Resources
Valley Health provides
education and tools to help you understand heart disease and live a healthier life. We teach
patients to recognize early symptoms of a heart attack, reduce treatment
delays, and improve outcomes.
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