In addition to serving residents of the Roanoke Valley, LewisGale Heart Center is a referral center for patients throughout Southwest Virginia who need cardiovascular surgery. Our highly skilled, board certified cardiovascular surgeons and licensed cardiothoracic nurses and specialists engage leading-edge technology, including minimally invasive surgery, off-pump bypass surgery, and endoscopic vein harvesting for appropriate patients. Our heart surgery team has performed thousands of surgeries since implementing its program in 1991.

Some of the most frequently used procedures that are provided by our cardiovascular team include:

Coronary artery bypass. This surgery is done to reroute or "bypass" blood around clogged arteries and improve the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart.

Valve replacement and repair

Pulmonary resections

Great vessel surgery

For select procedures when appropriate, the following leading edge techniques are utilized during surgery:

Minimally invasive surgery

Off-pump bypass surgery

Endoscopic vein harvest - This technique of acquiring veins from the arms and legs for grafting purposes uses a scope that requires only small incisions. This method of harvesting veins lasts longer with younger patients and leaves minimal scars that heal quickly.