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Coronary Surgery

Blocked coronary arteries can be treated with bypass surgery (CABG), stents (PCI), or medication alone — and the right choice depends on your anatomy, symptoms, and overall health. These articles explain how surgeons and cardiologists actually weigh those options.

18 articles

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Risk Assessment

Coronary Calcium Score: What Your CAC Scan Really Tells You About Heart Risk

A coronary calcium score is one of the most powerful tools we have to detect silent heart disease before it becomes an emergency. Here is what the number means, who should get scanned, and how to act on your results.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDJuly 28, 2026

Treatment Options

PCI and Coronary Stents: What Every Patient Should Understand Before Deciding

Percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting is one of the most common heart procedures performed today. As an interventional cardiologist, I explain how PCI works, when a coronary stent is the right choice, and how it compares to bypass surgery.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDJuly 23, 2026

Diagnostics

Understanding Your Stress Test Results: What the Numbers Actually Mean

Your cardiologist ordered a stress test and now you are holding a report full of unfamiliar terms. Here is what exercise stress echo and nuclear stress test results actually tell you about your heart, and when they should change your plan.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDJuly 20, 2026

Risk Assessment

Coronary Calcium Score: What Your CAC Scan Really Tells You

A coronary calcium score is one of the most powerful tools we have for predicting heart attack risk before symptoms appear. Here is what the number means, who should get a CAC scan, and how to act on the results.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDJuly 17, 2026

Diagnostics

Understanding Your Cardiac Catheterization: What a Left Heart Cath Really Tells You

A cardiac catheterization produces some of the most important information you will ever receive about your heart. Here is how the procedure works, what your angiogram results mean, and how to use them to make the right treatment decision.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDJuly 15, 2026

Diagnostics

Cardiac CT Angiography (CCTA): A Non-Invasive Look at Your Coronary Arteries

Cardiac CT angiography lets your doctors see inside the arteries that feed your heart without a single incision. Here is what the test shows, who benefits most, and how to read a CCTA result with confidence before you agree to anything more invasive.

Kunal U. Gurav, MDJune 15, 2026

Treatment Options

Coronary Artery Disease: A Complete Guide to Your Treatment Options

From lifestyle changes to stents to bypass surgery, coronary artery disease offers more than one path. Here is how the choices fit together and how doctors decide.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDJune 14, 2026

Treatment Options

Robotic and Hybrid Coronary Revascularization: A Less-Invasive Path

Not every bypass requires a large chest incision. Learn how robotic and hybrid techniques can treat coronary disease with smaller cuts and faster recovery.

Serrie Lico, MDJune 13, 2026

Second Opinions

Do I Really Need Bypass Surgery?

A bypass recommendation raises a fair and important question: is surgery truly necessary, or could a stent or medication work just as well? Here is how to think it through.

Rahul R. Handa, MDJune 12, 2026

Treatment Options

Bypass Surgery or Medication? Who Actually Benefits from CABG

When a cardiologist finds blocked coronary arteries, the choice between bypass surgery and medical therapy is rarely one-size-fits-all. Here is how surgeons and cardiologists weigh that decision, and when a second look is worthwhile.

Rahul HandaJune 9, 2026

Diagnostics

Cardiac Catheterization: What to Expect Before, During, and After

A cardiac catheterization is one of the most common heart procedures, yet it remains mysterious to many patients. Here is a calm, step-by-step look at what actually happens.

Dr. Sandeep PatelJune 7, 2026

Treatment Options

Stents (PCI) vs Bypass (CABG): Choosing for Multivessel Disease

When several coronary arteries are blocked, the choice between stents and bypass surgery is one of the most important you will make. Here is how the decision is weighed.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDMay 30, 2026

Diagnostics

Coronary Calcium Score: What Your CAC Number Means

A coronary calcium score is a quick scan that measures hardened plaque in your heart arteries and turns your risk into a single number. Understanding what that number reveals, and what it does not, helps you use it to make smarter decisions about prevention.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDMay 29, 2026

Diagnostics

Cardiac Stress Test Results: What Your Exercise Echo or Nuclear Stress Test Actually Means

A world-class imaging cardiologist explains how to read and understand your cardiac stress test results — whether you had an exercise stress echo, nuclear stress test, or pharmacologic study. Learn what abnormal findings really mean for your heart and what comes next.

Kunal U. Gurav, MDMay 23, 2026

Treatment Options

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Stenting: What Patients Need to Know Before Deciding

A structural and interventional cardiologist explains how percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary stenting work, when they are the right choice, and how to weigh PCI vs CABG with confidence. Practical guidance for patients facing coronary artery disease treatment decisions.

Sandeep M. Patel, MDMay 6, 2026

Patient Education

Coronary Artery Disease Treatment: Understanding Your Options Beyond Bypass Surgery

A cardiac surgeon explains the full spectrum of coronary artery disease treatment, from medications and lifestyle changes to stents and CABG surgery. Learn how to evaluate your options, what bypass surgery recovery actually looks like, and when a second opinion matters most.

Rahul R. Handa, MDApril 15, 2026

Patient Education

Coronary Artery Disease Treatment: From Diagnosis to Bypass Surgery Recovery

A cardiac surgeon explains what coronary artery disease treatment looks like in practice — from understanding your diagnosis to navigating CABG surgery recovery and getting back to the life you want to live.

Rahul R. Handa, MDApril 4, 2026

Patient Education

CABG Recovery Timeline: A Week-by-Week Guide After Bypass Surgery

CABG surgery is one of the most common and successful cardiac operations performed worldwide. Understanding what to expect — from pre-op preparation through every phase of recovery — reduces anxiety and improves outcomes.

Rahul R. Handa, MDMarch 14, 2026

Second Opinion

Told you need bypass surgery or stents?

Before you consent, a cardiac surgeon and a cardiologist independently review your records and deliver an unbiased written second opinion — typically within 24 hours.

Get a Second Opinion