This can lead to chest pain, or angina, which is a warning sign for a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery is totally blocked. Treatment Options Treatment for coronary artery disease will vary for different patients. The choice of treatment depends on the nature and severity of the disease and other factors unique to each patient. For some patients, lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating a low-fat diet, and getting more exercise may be enough.
Some patients require special medications.
Others may need medical procedures such as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Angioplasty reduces obstructions of fatty deposits in coronary arteries. Bypass surgery uses an artery or vein taken from another part of the body to divert blood around the clogged part of a patient's artery or arteries. This guide is about coronary artery bypass graft surgery. It will help you learn about the performance records of 14 hospitals in New Jersey that offered this type of surgery in 1998.