Coronary Artery Disease Program

Advanced surgical and non-surgical approaches to coronary artery disease

At Lankenau Heart Institute located just outside of Philadelphia, we approach coronary artery disease with preventive strategies along with medication therapy and the least invasive yet most sophisticated interventional and surgical techniques available. We routinely perform successful, minimally invasive heart bypass surgery on high-risk patients.

Robotic-assisted surgery enables us to perform complex procedures such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and hybrid coronary revascularization through a 1.5” incision, alleviating the need for risky, open-heart procedures and enabling our surgeons to achieve steady precision in microscopic areas. Our non-surgical interventional treatments include diagnostic cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (angioplasty). Performed through the wrist (radial artery) or the leg (femoral artery), these procedures allow us to identify exactly where your blockages are and to open narrowed arteries.

Preventive cardiology and new drug therapies

The way to a healthier heart is with healthier habits. Our multidisciplinary team works with you around related health issues such as weight management and diabetes. Our goal is to provide you with nutritional information and support you need to implement new behaviors that can reduce risks associated with coronary artery disease.

To get a broad spectrum view of how cholesterol is working in your body we rely on advanced lipid testing, a way of assessing your unique lipid profile and a more reliable method than standard testing for understanding your body’s cholesterol-related risk. Advanced lipid tests can help us more accurately guide your treatment options and decisions.

We also employ new lipid drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors, which act against a protein that prevents the body from effectively removing LDL (“bad”) cholesterol from the body. PCSK9 inhibitors are able to lower cholesterol with or without statins, which have typically been used to manage cholesterol but may have significant side effects and may not sufficiently reduced LDL for some patients.

We are also the first and only system in the Philadelphia region to offer HeartFlow FFRct (fractional flow reserve) Analysis, a noninvasive diagnostic test that is used along with a cardiac CT scan to create a 3D image of your coronary arteries. The analysis allows your doctor to see the arteries with greater clarity and understanding, which helps guide treatment decisions and may prevent you from having invasive or unnecessary tests.

Why choose Lankenau Heart Institute for coronary artery disease care

Our success with minimally invasive heart surgery and the adoption of new technologies is revolutionizing our thinking about the treatment of coronary artery disease. In the area of interventional cardiology we have a long-standing reputation of excellence in cardiac catheterization. Our team performs more than 5,400 cardiac catheterizations annually, including both diagnostic studies and catheter-based treatments.

Other distinguishing features of our coronary artery disease program include:

• Robotic-assisted and other minimally invasive surgeries. Robot-assisted surgery for selected patients results in less blood loss, less chance of infection, shorter hospital stays, minimal scarring and quicker return to everyday activities.
• On average, more than 60 percent of all catheterizations are performed through the wrist. This approach reduces risk of internal bleeding commonly associated with going through the leg and allows external bleeding to be easily compressed.
• Involvement in prominent national clinical studies. Leading-edge research ensures you have access to the latest treatment approaches for your condition.
• Specialists in the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD). We are widely recognized as a high-volume center performing more than 1,000 peripheral interventions per year across the system.

Located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Lankenau Heart Institute attracts patients from around the globe.

Cardiovascular clinical trials at Main Line Health

Main Line Health uses clinical trials to help prevent, diagnose and treat the full range of heart and vascular conditions. Learn more about the cardiovascular clinical trials currently being offered by our renowned cardiologists and heart and vascular surgeons.