Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.
The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute's team of specialists offers medical and surgical options to manage and treat coronary artery disease.
To request an appointment, contact the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute:
Doctors define coronary artery disease, also known as heart disease, as a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to the heart.
A gradual build-up of cholesterol-containing deposits (plaque) on the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis) can cause coronary artery disease.
Plaque narrows or blocks the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle.
This can result in:
At the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute, we offer standard and minimally invasive procedures to treat:
Our cardiothoracic surgeons have helped pioneer the use of minimally invasive techniques in heart surgery, performing the first minimally invasive coronary bypass graft surgery in the tristate (Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia) region.
Coronary artery disease is a blockage of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscles, caused by build up of plaque.
Coronary artery disease, or heart disease, may develop slowly over many years. It often can go unnoticed until serious symptoms develop.
Serious symptoms of coronary artery disease — including heart attack and instant death — can occur without warning.
More common symptoms include:
If you go to the emergency room with chest pain, some tests will be done right away to determine if you are experiencing angina or a heart attack.
Your doctor will order tests to:
Testing for coronary artery disease may include:
The UPMC Advanced Cardiac Imaging Program uses state-of-the-art diagnostic tests and procedures not found at other medical centers in the Pittsburgh region. Our highly advanced equipment provides unprecedented views of the heart and coronary arteries.
Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to expect your test results and will call you when they're available.
Follow the beat for a healthier life. Check out this post from UPMC Health Beat:
The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute's integrated team of cardiologists and other specialists work together to provide a full range of treatment options for coronary artery disease, also called heart disease.
Tailored to the cause and severity of your coronary artery disease, your treatment may include:
UPMC's Cardiac Catheterization Program specialists perform more than 20,000 diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures each year.
And surgeons at the Heart and Vascular Institute performed more than 950 coronary artery bypass graft surgeries at UPMC hospitals last year.
Heart Stent Dissolves in Body
UPMC became the first hospital in western Pennsylvania to use a recently FDA-approved fully dissolving heart stent.
The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute offers educational information and videos about coronary artery disease and other heart and vascular conditions.
Many people find these resources helpful in answering their questions about their heart disease and preparing them for their procedure or diagnostic test.
The links below will open a new browser window.
