Innovations in Heart Care

Baptist Health Paducah: Innovations in Heart Care

Interventional cardiologist KENNETH FORD, MD discusses the risk factors for heart disease and describes the new, innovative techniques in heart surgery available at Baptist Health Paducah.

Innovations in Heart Care Health Talks Transcript

Kenneth Ford, MD

A chronic total occlusion is a coronary artery that’s been blocked more than 30 days, and in order for us to fix a blocked vessel, we have to get a wire down the vessel. The standard way is to keep working with the wire until you get through to the blockage. In the arteries where that’s not possible, these new techniques allow you to go around the blockage and back into the vessel. And then use advanced catheters and balloons over the wire. And sometimes going in the opposite direction is easier than going from the front direction. There are many risk factors for coronary disease. Your genetics is one of the strongest risk factors that you can’t do anything about. You can quit smoking, you can treat diabetes and change your diet, but you can’t change your parents. When Nick initially presented, he had symptoms of chest discomfort and shortness of breath.

Nick Noland, Paducah

After I had the heart cath, they found out that I had a right total occlusion in my right coronary artery. You know, with Dr. Ford taking care of my mother, he knew the background and my history. He knew my family, and he was able to understand that, you know, he could do this on me too with the similar problems and the similar issues. To know that I didn’t have to go to another town, another city to try to get this resolved was a relief off my shoulders.

Kenneth Ford, MD

Here at Baptist Health Paducah, we can take care of your heart right here at home.