Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Clinic Education and Resources

According to the CDC, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. It's never too late to quit smoking and improve the health of yourself and those around you....

Washington Regional’s Walker Heart Institute offers robotically assisted mitral valve surgery for patients with mitral valve regurgitation. For most patients, robotically assisted mitral valve surgery means less pain, a shorter hospital stay, and a faster recovery compared to traditional open-heart surgery....

Washington Regional’s Walker Heart Institute was the first in Northwest Arkansas to offer transcarotid artery revascularization, or TCAR, a procedure that is used to treat carotid artery disease in patients with a high risk of stroke. “The TCAR procedure as an alternative has a much lower risk of stroke and a much lower risk of surgical complications than the alternatives of stenting and carotid endarterectomy,” explains Dr. Russell Wood of Washington Regional Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Clinic, a part of the Walker Heart Institute....

Each of the heart’s four valves – aortic, mitral, pulmonary, tricuspid – has its own distinct role in pumping blood throughout the body. Because each role is vital, any heart valve problem can become a serious medical condition. “Without treatment, prognosis of severe valve disease is very poor,” says Dr. Charles Cole, a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon who practices at Washington Regional Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Clinic....