Heart and vascular surgery

Cardiovascular surgeons in Southern New Hampshire

We personalize our surgical care to promote your heart and vascular health.

At Catholic Medical Center Physicians, we treat diseases impacting your heart, lungs and vascular system. Our dedicated surgeons use leading-edge technology to offer you advanced procedures, including minimally invasive heart surgery.

Conditions we treat with cardiovascular and thoracic surgery

Our compassionate team specializes in diagnosing and addressing a wide range of heart and vascular issues, including:

Cardiovascular services we offer

We provide you with a wide variety of care options, and work with you to determine the right treatment for your symptoms, condition and lifestyle.

Surgical heart care

As a nationally-recognized destination for heart and vascular care, our award-winning team includes board-certified cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and technologists who are leaders in their field. Using the latest surgical techniques, our heart surgeons address heart diseases and disorders with procedures such as:

• Angioplasty
• Cardiac mechanical assist devices, such as extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• Complex repair of thoracic-aortic diseases
• Reoperative open heart surgery
• Surgical removal of cardiac tumors

If you need a valve repair or replacement, a minimally-invasive approach may be recommended. We offer a number of minimally-invasive treatments for procedures such as percutaneous mitral valve replacement, surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation (AFib) and atherectomy for PAD.

Aortic dissection repair

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition that typically requires immediate treatment, such as emergency surgery. Less severe dissections may be initially treated with medications. Our team has pioneered many endovascular treatments for certain types of aortic dissection, being the first in New England to make these minimally-invasive options available to the community.

Convergent procedure

Historically, the only treatment for persistent and longstanding AFib was a surgical intervention called the maze procedure. The maze procedure requires open-chest surgery and is typically performed only when you need heart surgery for another condition.

However, we offer a high-quality approach that combines two minimally invasive techniques to address persistent AFib. This hybrid approach is known as the convergent procedure.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)

In many situations, bypass surgery can be performed without using the heart-lung machine. This is referred to as beating heart surgery or off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). Our surgeons may recommended on-pump or off-pump bypass surgery based on the severity of your condition.

Heart aneurysm treatments

Less severe, smaller aneurysms can sometimes be managed with lifestyle changes, such as better diet, exercise or medications. An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of your artery that can burst and cause internal bleeding. If you have an AAA, you should also work with your primary care provider to manage your blood pressure and maintain a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

Depending on the size of your aneurysm, you may not immediately require surgery and can instead be monitored with repeated screening. If you do require surgery, we offer procedures for many different types of aneurysms.

AAA repair

AAA can be surgically repaired through an incision in your abdomen or through an endovascular procedure to insert a stent graft. Your vascular surgeon will work with you to determine the best approach based on the unique condition of your artery.

Fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR)

We use this minimally-invasive procedure to repair complex aortic aneurysms. It involves wires and catheters rather than large incisions, which can reduce your hospital stay and enable you to recover faster.

TAA repair

Our team often uses minimally invasive, stent graft procedures to treat aneurysms. If your TAA is severe, you may need a bypass procedure to repair the aneurysm with a new section of blood vessel, called a graft.

Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR)

If you are experiencing CAD and are at a high risk for traditional open surgery, we offer TCAR. This is a minimally invasive approach where blood flow is temporarily reversed during the procedure and any small bits of plaque that may break off are diverted away from your brain. This technique works to prevent a stroke from happening during your surgery.

Structural heart surgery

Structural heart disease is defined as an abnormality or defect that weakens your heart’s walls, valves or muscles. Structural heart defects can be treated through traditional open-heart surgery or through several minimally invasive procedures.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) repair

A PFO is a small hole between the left and right upper chambers of your heart. If treatment is needed, your cardiologist will consult with your neurologist on a plan. Possible care options may include:

• Blood thinning medication to prevent blood clots and stroke
• Device closure using cardiac catheterization
• Surgery where a small device is placed across the heart hole through the vein in your leg

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

TAVR is a minimally invasive treatment for severe aortic stenosis, which is the narrowing of the aortic valve. Medication management can sometimes be insufficient and replacement may become necessary. The TAVR procedure involves replacing the diseased valve with a transcatheter heart valve.

Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER)

The TEER is a minimally invasive procedure to treat mitral regurgitation. It may be right for you if you are suffering from symptoms of valve-related congestive heart failure, but aren’t responding to medication treatment and aren’t a suitable candidate for surgery.

Vascular surgery

Vascular surgery refers to any surgical procedure involving the heart or the blood vessels that carry blood to and from your heart. In some situations, vascular surgery may be appropriate to help restore blood flow, especially if you are experiencing PAD.

Our vascular surgeons perform operations of the arteries and veins, and offer specialty surgical services for heart diseases and disorders. We provide many vascular surgeries, including varicose vein treatment and venous disease surgery.