The most common type of heart disease among Americans, coronary artery disease (CAD) happens when your coronary arteries narrow and harden, which slows or blocks the flow of blood to your heart. It can cause several heart-related problems including arrhythmias and heart failure.

Common symptoms of CAD include angina and shortness of breath, but it’s also common for people with CAD to not experience any symptoms at all. Often people do not realize they have CAD until after they have a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke.

The heart experts in the Sutter Health network provide advanced diagnostic testing and treatments for CAD to thousands of patients every year. We offer several non-invasive and catheterization techniques to treat CAD at its earliest stage.

If you are diagnosed with CAD, cardiovascular specialists at Mills-Peninsula offer several treatment options that can slow the progression of the disease, and in some cases reverse its effects. Your treatment plan may include medication, lifestyle changes, devices such as intra-aortic balloon pumps and percutaneous ventricular assist devices (PVAD). It may also include interventional procedures such as clot removal (thrombectomy), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and revascularization, surgery, and cardiac rehabilitation.

Doctors at Mills-Peninsula also have specialized training in minimally invasive techniques to resolve chronic total occlusions (CTOs)—particularly complex heart blockages that typically require open-heart surgery.

Sutter is a regional leader in cardiovascular care and our programs have been named among the best in the nation. We have received recognition and honors from organizations such as U.S. News & World Report, Truven Health Analytics, Healthgrades, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.