Medicines can help limit symptoms, stop blood clots forming, and lower cholesterol to stop arteries narrowing even more.
Coronary artery care
HCA UK: The #1 private provider of coronary artery care
- Leading private cardiovascular care: We treat more cardiac patients than any other provider. On average, we provide 225 heart bypasses and more than 500 PCIs each year. We deliver better outcomes for people, such as a 99.6% CABG survival rate, and 99% of those we have helped would recommend us to friends and family.
- Full treatment options: If needed, we provide comprehensive coronary artery disease treatments through our private network. Our experts will recommend the most effective options for you, from lifestyle changes to medication and heart surgery. We have a 99.6% survival rate for heart bypass surgery.
- Top consultants with multidisciplinary support: You'll be looked after by consultants who are experts in helping people with coronary artery problems. They're supported by specialist multidisciplinary teams (MDT) to find the best solutions for your condition and lifestyle.
- Highest-quality facilities and technology: We have five cardiac hospitals and 15 outpatient centres in various UK locations, and routinely invest in the latest diagnostic and treatment.
- Swift coronary artery tests: If you have symptoms or concerns, we can confirm a consultation within 24 hours. We can offer a full range of cardiovascular tests and imaging on the same day, with results sent within two business days.
Meet the team of consultants who specialise in coronary arteries
At our hospitals, you’ll see a consultant cardiologist who specialises in coronary artery causes, tests and treatment (including surgery). If your case is complex, they’ll discuss your diagnosis and treatment plan with as many as 20 other senior clinicians. It’s their combined skill and judgement that delivers the best outcomes for patients.
Working in teams, they’re pioneering new procedures to open up completely blocked arteries with just the smallest incision. They bring these latest techniques to our hospitals, offering our patients options they hadn’t had before.
Improving outcomes with pioneering treatment
Among the 235+ cardiac consultants in the HCA UK network is Mr Toufan Bahrami, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon leading a prestigious team at The Harley Street Clinic, part of HCA UK.
In more than two decades dedicated to cardiac care, Mr Bahrami has helped to push the boundaries of minimally invasive cardiac procedures. He regularly performs fully endoscopic heart surgery and was the first surgeon in the world to offer minimally invasive off-pump coronary artery bypass grafts.
"I had the choice: to do things like everyone else – or change things. The most important benefit [of keyhole cardiac surgery] is faster recovery. That is crucial for patients who want to get on with their lives, who don’t want to spend three or four weeks in hospital."
Getting a full picture with a cardiac radiographer
As well as expert consultants to treat symptoms of faulty coronary arteries, you will also be in the hands of specialists at every turn – including imaging and diagnostics.
Cardiac radiographer and Deputy Imaging Manager Neha Gambhir works at The Lister Hospital, regularly performing calcium score and coronary angiography tests to begin providing patients with the clarity that they have been seeking.
"We are constantly investing in new and exciting technologies here. We are the first hospital group in the UK to offer access to CaRi-Heart analysis, which uses artificial intelligence to assess the risk of a serious heart condition or heart attack, many years before anything happens."
Nursing teams with specialist knowledge and experience
At HCA UK, we have teams of specialist Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) across medical specialities such as cancer, cardiac and gynaecology. They provide physical and emotional support to patients, coordinate care and inform and advise patients on clinical and practical issues.
Cardiac surgery and rehabilitation CNS Suzanne O’Connor has worked with us since 2015. As well as providing expert care when people are on the ward, she says bonds between CNSs and their patients often run extremely deep.
"It’s the type of nursing where you can physically see an improvement in a patient’s health – from seeing them before surgery to after they’ve recovered and are getting back to what they love doing. Sometimes, patients stay in touch years after their procedure – it's amazing to be able to build that relationship and have an impact on someone’s life."
Advice and treatment from experts in coronary artery conditions
When you visit HCA UK for a consultation about coronary arteries, every discussion will be held with an expert on your condition and how best to manage it.
About your coronary arteries
Your coronary arteries supply your heart with the oxygen-rich blood it needs. The right coronary artery supplies the parts of the heart that carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs, as well as the sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes – your heart's natural pacemakers. The left coronary artery carries blood to the heart before it is pumped around the rest of the body.
A fatty plaque material, coronary artery atheroma, can build up in your artery walls. This can lead to atherosclerosis, the narrowing of your arteries. If they become so narrowed that the blood can’t get through, your heart can’t get the oxygen it needs. This can lead to angina, which you might feel as pain in your chest. If part of the plaque breaks off the artery wall of your artery, it can cause a blood clot to form, which can completely block the blood supply to your heart, causing a heart attack.
There are many ways to manage and treat coronary artery disease, from taking medicine to having coronary artery bypass surgery. Our consultants can help you find the best option for your particular symptoms and circumstances.
Identifying and treating coronary artery problems
Managing your condition medically
Looking inside your coronary arteries
Your consultant might recommend you have an angiography, a test that uses contrast dye to highlight any narrowed areas of your arteries.
Angioplasty and stent for coronary artery
An angioplasty involves threading a catheter to a blockage in the coronary artery, before inflating a balloon to widen it to its usual width. A mesh stent, attached to the balloon, acts as a scaffold to hold the artery open, restoring blood flow.
Coronary artery bypass operation
Using very fine thread, our surgeons connect one part of the artery to another, bypassing the narrowed area. This allows blood to flow freely.
Specialising in minimally invasive CTO procedures
Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a coronary artery is traditionally treated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery. But some of our interventional cardiologists specialise in treating CTO through a minimally invasive procedure. Working together, they use catheters, wires, balloons and stents to unblock completely blocked arteries – all through an incision the diameter of a pencil.
Minimal access and robotic surgery
Instead of opening the chest by cutting through the breastbone, minimal access and robotic surgery involves making a few small incisions. These methods achieve the same results as open-heart surgery but give patients a faster recovery. Among our cardiac teams is the surgeon who uses the Da Vinci robot to perform coronary artery bypasses. The robot’s four arms have a greater range of motion than human wrists and the processors eliminate any natural hand tremors.
Imaging arteries with fiber optics
With Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology, our interventional cardiologists pass fibre optic cables down the coronary arteries to look at built-up plaque. The optical fibre emits infrared light and OCT measures the echo time delay and signal intensity after its reflection from the coronary wall. This gives cardiologists a detailed scan that can show if the plaque is likely to rupture and cause a heart attack.
Get the right tests and treatment with HCA UK
Coronary artery problems can be caused by a wide range of things. At HCA UK, we provide fast access to tests that can diagnose coronary artery anomalies and recommend the most appropriate course of treatment for you and your condition.
Coronary artery patient stories
Living with Type 2 diabetes, Saleem understood the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. However, when a scan revealed his arteries were significantly blocked, time was of the essence to get him treatment that could be life-saving as his diabetes may have played a role in suppressing symptoms of coronary artery disease.
"I'm glad I had the check-up as I was told I had at least two, maybe three blockages in my coronary arteries. The imaging team weren't 100% certain because the ultrasound test couldn't confirm the diagnosis. I was recommended an angiogram and specialist supervision at HCA Healthcare UK."
"Time is of the essence with my heart, as I have diabetes"
Saleem, 57, keeps an active lifestyle to remain fit and healthy. He plays badminton once a week and goes for a walk in the morning and evening every day. Despite having type 2 diabetes, he continues to have a balanced and energetic life.
HCA UK's cardiovascular specialities
We work with consultants specialising in coronary arteries, as well as a wide range of experts in all aspects of cardiovascular care.
- Heart rhythm: Issues with the electrical activity of your heart are known as arrhythmias. A heart rhythm may be faster (tachycardia) or slower (bradycardia) than is deemed normal. Changes in your heart rhythm can affect your blood pressure and the strength of your heart muscle.
- Heart valves: The four valves of the heart ensure that blood moves around the body in the correct direction, transporting oxygen around the body. Like coronary arteries, heart valves can become narrowed and block blood flow. HCA UK is a leading expert in the TAVI procedure that fixes issues with the aortic valve – the largest in the heart.
- Congenital conditions: Some cardiac conditions can develop in babies before they are born, potentially affecting the heart’s walls, valves and blood vessels. It's estimated that 13 babies are diagnosed with congenital heart disease in the UK each day. Advances in medicine now mean that eight in 10 babies born with heart defects live into adulthood.
- Cardiovascular surgery: If you require surgery, you'll be in the best hands with HCA UK. Our consultants lead the way in innovative techniques that improve outcomes and reduce recovery times, including minimally invasive, endoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. Our survival rate for all operations has remained greater than 99% for more than a decade.
Where can I get coronary artery tests and treatment?
Our cardiac department brings together five cardiac hospitals and 15 outpatient and diagnostic centres. Our 235+ consultants, nurses, multidisciplinary teams and leading technology combine to allow us to deliver outstanding care.
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
The Harley Street Clinic
35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ London
The Wellington Hospital
Wellington Place St John's Wood NW8 9LE London
The Lister Hospital
Chelsea Bridge Road SW1W 8RH London
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
The Harborne Hospital
Mindelsohn Way B15 2FQ Birmingham
The Wilmslow Hospital
52-54 Alderley Road Wilmslow SK9 1NY Cheshire
Get the best cardiac care with HCA UK
We provide exceptional specialist care in all areas of cardiology and cardiac surgery across our network of outpatient centres and hospitals. As the UK's No.1 provider of private cardiac care, our multidisciplinary teams have cared for thousands of patients, just like you.
If heart symptoms are affecting your quality of life, we’re here to help. Our heart team is available to book an appointment with a cardiac specialist.
Request a cardiac appointment
If heart symptoms are affecting your quality of life and it's down to coronary artery problems, we’re here to help. Our heart team can help you book an appointment with a cardiac specialist.