Heart, vascular and thoracic surgeons in Myrtle Beach
Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body, pumping blood and oxygen to all areas of the body. If you're having trouble with your heart or vascular system, which consists of all the vessels your blood moves through to get where it needs to go, you want to make sure you get care from experienced surgeons who can deliver the best possible outcome.
The cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons within Grand Strand Physicians have extensive training in a wide range of procedures to treat cardiovascular disease. They take the time to properly diagnose your condition, recommend the right treatment plan and help you through recovery so you can live a normal, active life.
For more information or to talk with one of our specialists, please schedule an appointment.
Heart and vascular conditions we treat surgically
The cardiovascular surgical specialists within our comprehensive heart care program use a variety of minimally invasive and open-heart surgeries to treat a wide range of conditions related to the heart and blood vessels.
Coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease. It affects more than 18 million adults in the U.S.
Coronary heart disease occurs when the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, become blocked with plaque. Over time, this blockage can limit the oxygen getting to the heart, which can cause a heart attack.
Our surgeons are trained in interventional cardiology, a practice that uses specialized catheter-based techniques to both diagnose and treat coronary heart disease. They can perform angioplasty, a procedure in which balloon-tipped catheters are inserted into the affected blood vessel. The balloon expands, pushing the plaque against the walls of the blood vessel and widening the opening.
Sometimes doctors may place a wire mesh tube called a stent into the blood vessel to support the walls and prevent it from becoming clogged again.
If the blockage is too severe for angioplasty, doctors may recommend coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In this open-heart procedure, they reroute the blood flow away from the affected artery by using a section of blood vessel from your arm, leg or chest.
Structural heart abnormalities
Most structural heart abnormalities affect the tissues or valves of the heart. Many of them are present at birth and do not cause problems, but some develop over time. Our surgeons can repair or even replace the valves of the heart to make them work better. These procedures include:
- Atrial septal defect repair
- Balloon valvuloplasty for valvular aortic stenosis
- Cox-Maze procedure
- Mitral valve repair
- Valve replacement
Vascular disease
Vascular disease refers to any condition affecting the blood vessels of the body. They include:
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when an area of the aorta, the main artery of the heart becomes large or balloons out. Our surgeons can treat these aneurysms and make sure that they do not become bigger and burst — a potentially life-threatening situation.
Carotid artery disease
Carotid artery disease occurs when the blood vessels that feed the brain become clogged. If not treated, it increases the risk of stroke.
Our surgeons can perform a carotid endarterectomy, a procedure in which they open your carotid artery and remove the plaque that is clogging your artery.
Coarctation of the aorta
A congenital abnormality, coarctation is a narrowing of the aorta, which forces your heart to pump harder to move blood through the main blood vessel.
Babies with severe coarctation of the aorta are sometimes given a medication that keeps the blood vessels near the narrowing open, allowing blood to flow around the constricted area.
There are several surgeries to repair aortic coarctation. You can talk with your doctor about which type is best for you or your child.
Peripheral vascular disease
Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), also called peripheral artery disease, is a condition in which the blood vessels outside the heart become narrowed or clogged. Similarly to cardiovascular disease, it usually affects the legs and feet.
Surgeons can treat peripheral vascular disease in the same way as cardiovascular disease — through angioplasty or by grafting a blood vessel from another part of the body.
Other vascular procedures we perform
We offer other vascular surgical procedures, including:
- Access to hemodialysis
- Endovenous treatment of venous insufficiency
- Endovenous treatment of varicose veins
Surgery updates via text message
If a loved one is having surgery, you can be kept up-to-date on their status by using our free surgery text messaging service.