Coronary Disease

Complex coronary disease specialists at the Frankel CVC have expertise in advanced treatments, ranging from open surgical and percutaneous revascularization to specialized medical management. We care for a large volume of high-risk and complex patients who have limited treatment options.

A dedicated heart team of cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and critical care specialists collaborate in multidisciplinary conferences to develop individualized, evidence-based treatment plans to optimize outcomes for patients with multi-vessel disease.

A high percentage of our percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients have one or more highly complex coronary lesion features, including left main coronary artery location, in-stent restenosis, and significant calcification.

As one of the few teams in the state with expertise in the catheter-based treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTO), we offer advanced, clinically proven, minimally invasive solutions to improve quality of life for patients with chronic angina or cardiac dysfunction.

For patients with in-stent restenosis or stent failure, our interventional cardiologists offer optimization techniques including coronary brachytherapy. By directing radiation inside the affected vessel our team can remediate the stent and prevent recurrent stent failure. The Frankel CVC is one of only four coronary brachytherapy programs in Michigan, backed by the expertise of practitioners who are at the forefront of medical innovation.

Older patients with coronary disease are more likely to have significant calcification not amenable to conventional angioplasty balloons and stent placement. We offer minimally invasive treatment options that remove obstructive calcium to obtain optimal outcomes, including atherectomy and intravascular lithotripsy

Our surgical complex coronary intervention team has exceptional expertise in multi-arterial grafting and performs bilateral internal mammary artery grafting procedures 2.5 times more often than the national average. We also perform a high volume of complex redo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries in patients with failed prior bypass.

Despite our high-risk patient population with complex disease and comorbidities, patients undergoing bypass surgery at the Frankel CVC:

• Require significantly fewer blood product transfusions

• Are liberated from the ventilator within the first six hours post-surgery more often

• Are less likely to suffer a stroke or death postoperatively

We have been rated a 3-star program — the highest category of quality — by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The Frankel CVC consistently earns national recognition as “High Performing” in heart bypass surgery by U.S. News & World Report in its annual quality and safety rankings.

For information about our many active clinical trials, visit UMHealthResearch.org.

A patient with a high-risk stenosis involving the distal left main and left anterior descending arteries.

HIGH PERFORMANCE RECOGNITION FOR HEART BYPASS SURGERY

BILATERAL INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY GRAFTING PROCEDURES ARE PERFORMED

Complete revascularization after percutaneous coronary intervention of the left main and left anterior descending arteries. The procedure was completed with the aid of a mechanical support device to provide temporary cardiac support in the setting of a complex intervention.

2.5x MORE OFTEN

THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE: 19% vs. 7.6%

STS BENCHMARK JAN–JUN 2022

PATIENTS ARE LIBERATED FROM A VENTILATOR WITHIN THE FIRST 6 HOURS

POST-SURGERY

A patient with a complex left anterior descending stenosis resulting in severe ischemic heart disease.

MORE OFTEN THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE: 72% vs. 61%

STS BENCHMARK JAN–JUN 2022

TOP SUCCESS AND SAFETY RATES IN COMPLEX AND CTO INTERVENTIONS

Complete restoration of coronary blood flow after percutaneous revascularization.

THREE-STAR RATING FOR ISOLATED CABG