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Type of Physician: Cardiothoracic Surgeon

What is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon?

A certification by the Board of Thoracic Surgery; practitioners are skilled in patient care before, during and after surgery, and the critical care of patients with pathologic conditions within the chest. The management of the airway and injuries of the chest is within the scope of the specialty.

Specialty: Cardiothoracic Surgery

Common Name: Chest Surgeon

Cardiothoracic Surgeon Doctors in El Paso *

Elaine M Barron & Miguel L Barron MDs
Miguel L Barron
1100 N Stanton St
Bldg 1A
El Paso, TX 79902
(915) 533-3566

Carlos H Corral MD
Carlos H Corral
1700 N Oregon St
STE 750
El Paso, TX 79902
(915) 542-0400

Pritam Dandade MD
Pritam B Dandade
615 E Schuster Ave
El Paso, TX 79902
(915) 545-1707

El Paso is home to the University of Texas at El Paso (founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, and later, Texas Western College; its present name dates from 1967) and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso. Fort Bliss, one of the largest military complexes of the United States Army, lies to the east and northeast of the city, with training areas extending north into New Mexico, up to the White Sands Missile Range and neighboring Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo. The Franklin Mountains extend into El Paso from the north and nearly divide the city into two sections, the western half forming the beginnings of the Mesilla Valley and with the eastern slopes connecting in the central business district at the south end of the mountain range.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso)

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Read the Coronary Artery Bypass Graft article »

What is coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery?

According to the American Heart Association 427,000 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries were performed in the United States in 2004, making it one of the most commonly performed major operations. CABG surgery is advised for selected groups of patients with significant narrowings and blockages of the heart arteries (coronary artery disease). CABG surgery creates new routes around narrowed and blocked arteries, allowing sufficient blood flow to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle.

How does coronary artery disease develop?

Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when atherosclerotic plaque (hardening of the arteries) builds up in the wall of the arteries that supply the heart. This plaque is primarily made of cholesterol. Plaque accumulation can be accelerated by smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes. Patients are also at higher risk for plaque development if they are older (greater than 45 years for men and 55 years for women), or if they have a positive family history for early heart artery disease.

The atherosclerotic process causes significant narrowing in one or more coronary arteries. When coronary arteries narrow more than 50 to 70%, the blood supply beyond the plaque becomes inadequate to meet the increased oxygen demand during exercise. The heart muscle in the territory of these arteries becomes starved of oxygen (ischemic). Patients often experience chest pain (angina) when the blood oxygen supply cannot keep up with demand. Up to 25% of patients experience no chest pain at all despite documented lack of adequate blood and oxygen supply. These patients have "silent" angina, and have the same risk of heart attack as those with angina.

When a blood clot (thrombus) forms on top of this plaque, the artery becomes completely blocked causing a heart att...

Read the Coronary Artery Bypass Graft article »