Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, costing $304 billion in medications, medical services and lost productivity. While there are a number of conditions that fall under the umbrella of heart disease, the principle cause of death is coronary heart disease. CHD kills more than 652,000 people a year. The good news is that medical science has come a long way in its approach to treating heart disease. Over 90 percent of heart attack victims go on to live normal, productive lives if the disease is caught early enough. The three most commonly used approaches in treating heart disease are medications, coronary bypass surgery and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery.
Heart Medications
Heart medications are prescribed for people who have either suffered from angina (a shortage of blood flow to the heart), a heart attack or coronary artery bypass surgery. The most common include aspirin, digitalis, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, blood cholesterol lowering agents and thrombolytic agents. Each drug class is prescribed for a different purpose, depending on the patient's unique health needs. For instance, aspirin is prescribed for people who have already had a heart attack as well as those who are at risk for one. Aspirin helps to keep coronary arteries open. Digitalis, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers control the way the heart beats and how the blood vessels respond to circulating blood. Thrombolytic agents help prevent blood clots from occurring and minimizes heart attacks and strokes.
Coronary Bypass Surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery has been used successfully since the early 1960s. When a coronary artery becomes occluded with plaque and cannot be cleared by other, less invasive means, coronary artery bypass surgery is indicated. During the surgical process, a heart surgeon harvests a vein from another part of the body (usually the leg or chest) and uses it to bypass the occluded part of the artery. Doctors can bypass up to seven coronary arteries in a single surgery. After spending two days in intensive care, the patient usually returns home after seven days in the hospital.
Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
A relatively new surgical approach in treating occluded coronary arteries is minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery. It can often be used if the left anterior descending or right coronary artery becomes occluded. The surgery involves making a small incision in the patient's chest, directly over the heart and bypassing occluded artery similar to traditional bypass surgery. The surgery does not require stopping the heart and using a heart/lung machine, and hospital stays are reduced to three or four days. Because the surgery is less invasive, there are fewer complications and a faster recovery.
