Heart and vascular surgery
If your heart or blood vessels have been damaged — by conditions such as heart failure or congenital heart abnormalities — cardiovascular surgeons work to repair them. They may use traditional surgery or minimally invasive approaches, which can enable a faster recovery for you.
Cardiovascular surgeons in Charleston, South Carolina
If you are in need of surgical intervention for your heart, our team of specialists is here for you.
Issues of the heart can be complex and have many potential treatments.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
If you are dealing with a cardiac condition that requires heart surgery, our team of surgeons and specialists is equipped to provide the support you need.
Surgical cardiovascular care
Cardiovascular diseases occur when your heart or blood vessels experience issues. These conditions can be quite serious, oftentimes requiring medical attention from our surgeons.
Heart surgeries we offer
Our heart surgeons are trained to use advanced, minimally invasive surgical techniques to repair your blood vessels and your heart should it show signs of damage and disease. These techniques can result in less scarring and a quicker recovery time for you. Our priority is that your prescribed surgical intervention helps you to live a longer and healthier life.
Some of our surgeries include:
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)
- Minimally invasive endoscopic vein harvesting
- Implantable cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers
- Maze procedure and arrhythmia surgeries
- Minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve repair and replacement
- Repair of adult congenital (present at birth) heart lesions
Heart valve procedures
During a heart valve repair procedure, one or more of your heart valves may be repaired or replaced. This decision, however, cannot be made until the surgery is occurring. Your surgeon will talk you through all the potential options and outcomes prior to your procedure.
Repairing a valve may involving sewing a ring to tighten the valve's opening. The goal is to allow the valve to better open and close.
Replacing a valve may occur if the valve cannot be repaired. In this case, a prosthetic heart valve will be used.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure that may be recommended to replace an aortic heart valve with disease, without undergoing an open-heart surgery.
Your heart surgeon will be sure to discuss with you the best type of valve for you, taking into account your weight, age, health of your heart, etc.
Arrhythmia
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of arrhythmia, which is a condition where the heart has an irregular heartbeat. This condition can lead to the over-collection of blood in a sac in the left side of your heart. This over-collection can result in clots, which can then travel to the brain, potentially resulting in a cerebrovascular accident (stroke).
Knowing how serious this is, our heart surgeons have achieved a milestone of being the first in South Carolina to successfully implant a next-generation device designed to lower risk of a stroke for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). This left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) device can significantly minimize your stroke risk and effectively remove the need for your blood thinning medications.
Vascular surgeries we offer
Our vascular surgeons offer a number of minimally invasive surgeries. These procedures aim to target vascular conditions, such as:
- Aneurysms in the heart are caused by a bulge in the aorta.
- Atherosclerosis is caused by blocked veins and arteries.
- Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is caused by narrowed veins and arteries.
- Various vascular issues can oftentimes be related to diabetes and wounds.
Your specialist will be sure to talk you through all of your options and provide you compassionate care every step of your heart journey.