Saving Lives in Carrollton
There’s nothing more gratifying than saving a life … and open-heart surgery is one of the most definitive lifesaving procedures a doctor can perform. That’s why we’re excited to move closer to opening our open-heart surgery program in Carrollton.
A Crowning Achievement
Hospitals can’t just decide to offer open-heart procedures. We must receive approval from the state to expand our services. Our demonstrated excellence in care earned Tanner Health System the green light to move forward with our open-heart surgery program.
In preparation for opening day, we’re recruiting cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as clinical and nonclinical team members.
We’re building out a new operating suite with advanced technology. We’re also spreading the word that patients will soon be able to receive life-saving heart surgery close to home in west Georgia, without having to travel.
A Life-Changing Course Change
When you have coronary artery disease (CAD), one or more of the large arteries supplying blood to your heart muscle become clogged with fatty deposits called plaque. Sometimes, your doctors can use angioplasty and stenting to widen the arteries and let blood pass through. When plaque blocks multiple arteries, you may need open-heart surgery.
During one common type of open-heart surgery, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, doctors use arteries or veins from other parts of your body to reroute blood flow around the clogged artery.
CABG follows a similar principle to taking an alternate route home to avoid a freeway accident … something we do every day. But the skills and technology involved in open-heart surgery mean it’s a major procedure.
During surgery, a heart-lung machine will take over from your heart to pump your blood. Following surgery, you’ll stay in the hospital for several days to recover.
Being able to receive open-heart surgery close to home from providers at Tanner Health System means you’ll be nearer to family and friends during your hospital stay. It also means your cardiologist and cardiac surgeon will be close by for questions and follow-up visits.
A Gift for Our Neighbors
We know that heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in Georgia, and that our neighbors in west Georgia are even more likely than Georgia’s average to die of heart disease.
We also know that COVID-19 can damage the heart, and it’s especially dangerous for people with heart disease.
That’s why, even during the pandemic, we’ve been eager to move forward with our open-heart surgery services.
Our mission at Tanner is to improve the health of the communities we serve. That extends from developing wellness programs to prevent and manage the chronic diseases that increase the risk for heart disease to developing the clinical services to fulfill our community’s medical needs.
My colleagues and I at Tanner Heart & Vascular Specialists are excited to help our neighbors even more. It lifts our hearts to see our open-heart surgery program come nearer to completion every day.
We also offer cardiac care in Bremen, Carrollton and Villa Rica, Georgia, and in Wedowee, Alabama. Learn more at TannerHeartCare.org.