Heart Disease :: Coronary bypass surgery treats clogged arteries

DR. MICHAEL REARDON, heart surgeon at the METHODIST DEBAKEY HEART CENTER: “Last week, the FDA hosted a panel to discuss the safety and effectiveness of drug-eluting stents, popular devices that are used to treat clogged arteries.

An important consideration for treating clogged arteries also includes a discussion on the benefits of surgery, compared to stent implantation. The success of coronary bypass surgery for treating clogged arteries is unmatched. The technology for performing bypass surgery is evolving and includes many innovative, less- invasive techniques for unclogging arteries, including the use of robotics, ‘beating-heart’ bypass surgery, and less-invasive endoscopic ways of extracting veins for bypass.” Reardon has performed thousands of bypasses and is nationally recognized for his clinical and research contributions to the fields of adult cardiac surgery and coronary artery disease. He trained at Methodist under Dr. Michael DeBakey, the developer of the coronary bypass graft.