Heart and vascular surgeons in Manchester, New Hampshire

As a nationally recognized destination for heart and vascular care, we provide highly skilled surgical services and personalized treatment plans.

Cardiovascular surgery, also known as cardiac surgery or heart surgery, refers to any surgical procedure involving the heart or blood vessels that carry blood to and from the heart.

CMC was the site of the first beating heart surgery in northern New England in 1996. Today, we are one of the region’s busiest centers for beating heart surgery, performing more than 90 percent of heart bypass surgeries performed on a patient’s beating heart without the use of a heart-lung machine. This approach can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke for patients.

Beyond providing highly skilled surgical care, our team develops a comprehensive and personalized treatment plan for each patient to help ease anxiety, increase understanding and build confidence for you and your family.

Why choose CMC?

The New England Heart & Vascular Institute at CMC is a leader in cardiac surgery. Our board-certified surgeons, specializing in cardiac, thoracic and vascular procedures, have extensive experience in performing open-heart procedures.

Our board-certified surgeons have performed more than 25,000 open heart procedures. Our highly-skilled team is dedicated to providing you a detailed treatment plan, easing anxiety, and building confidence for both you and your family.

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused by plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart (called coronary arteries). It can be chronic, with a gradual narrowing of the coronary arteries over time, limiting the blood supply to parts of the heart muscle. Alternatively, it can be acute, resulting from a sudden rupture of plaque and formation of a blood clot.

Living a healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition, weight management and plenty of physical activity

The traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease include:

  • High LDL cholesterol
  • Low HDL cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Family history
  • Diabetes
  • Smoking
  • For women—being post-menopausal
  • For men—being older than 45
  • Obesity may also be a risk factor

Typical warning signs of coronary artery disease are:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Heart palpitations
  • Fatigue

If you experience any of these symptoms, don’t delay – call 911.

Treatments and Technologies

  • Cardiac Catheterization
  • Coronary Intravascular Ultrasound & Flow Measurement

Most people with CAD can be helped by one or a combination of these three types of treatments:

  • Medication Management
  • Minimally Invasive Treatment Options:
    • Coronary Stent
    • Shockwave IVL
  • Surgical Treatment – Heart Surgery:
    • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
    • Beating Heart or Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Heart Valve Disease

Heart valve disease refers to any of several conditions that prevent one or more of the valves in the heart from functioning effectively. It most often occurs in the mitral valve or the aortic valve, both on the left side of the heart. There are two common types of valve disease: stenosis (narrowing of the valve) and insufficiency (valve leakage). Left untreated, heart valve disease can reduce how well the heart is able to pump blood to the body, effecting quality of life and sometimes becoming life-threatening.

If you have been diagnosed with heart valve disease, there are various treatment options. Some may be as simple as lifestyle modifications and/or taking medication. In some cases, you may need to have the valve repaired or replaced, restoring normal function and allowing you to return to normal activities.

CMC leads the way in innovative treatments for patients with heart valve disease. Our Structural Heart Team, made up cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, work together to determine the optimal approach to evaluating and treating valvular disease to make sure you’re getting the right treatment and ongoing care for your condition.

Treatments and Technologies

  • Testing and Imaging Studies
  • Minimally-Invasive Treatment Options:
    • TAVR
    • MitraClip
    • Percutaneous Mitral Valve Replacement
  • Surgical Treatment

Advanced Heart Failure

Of the more than six million Americans living with heart failure, about 10 percent have advanced heart failure. In short, that means conventional heart therapies and symptom management strategies are no longer effective. Someone with advanced heart failure feels shortness of breath and other symptoms even at rest. Symptoms may include:

  • Shortness of breast
  • Persistent coughing or wheezing
  • Buildup of excess fluid in body tissues
  • Tiredness, fatigue
  • Lack of appetite, nausea
  • Confusion, impaired thinking
  • Increased heart rate

In its early stages, medication and a healthy lifestyle can help manage heart failure. But as the disease progresses and the heart becomes weaker, treatment gets more complex. That’s the time to have difficult, yet important, conversations with your family and your providers about the care you want to receive.

Treatment and Technology Ventricular assist devices (VADs)

  • Ventricular assist devices (VADs): mechanical pumps implanted in the lower heart chambers (the left or right ventricles) to help the heart pump blood to the rest of the body. Heart surgeons can place VADs in either heart chamber, but are most frequently implanted in the left ventricle (LVAD).

Maze procedure for Atrial fibrillation (AFib)

AFib is a condition where the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat out of sync. It happens when the electrical impulses that control contraction are faulty. This fast, irregular heart rhythm can reduce your heart’s ability to effectively pump blood. Blood may pool, which can lead to blood clots. These clots can travel to other places in the body causing, stroke and other medical issues.

If you have AFib, multiple treatments are available. Some mild cases may be treated with medication. Others may require minimally invasive treatment performed by an electrophysiologist (a doctor who specializes in heart rhythm disorders). If open-heart surgery is already required for another condition (such as CAD or heart valve disease), we can perform the Maze procedure. We will use special instruments both on the outside and inside of your heart to disrupt abnormal electrical pathways and help your heart beat in a normal rhythm.

To learn more about our Heart and Vascular Surgery services, call us at (603) 665-2470.