Dr. Ott and his team at the Texas Heart Institute are recognized for their expertise in the field of coronary artery disease. Each patient undergoes a thorough state-of-the-art evaluation at the Texas Heart Institute/St. Luke's Hospital or a complete review of their data that they send or bring from other institutions. A team approach assures that all available options are considered and presented to the patient in an unbiased fashion for their consideration.

Stents are always the first option for many patients with coronary artery blockages but it is important to consult a highly experienced team in order to insure that the correct treatment is chosen for each patient's specific anatomy. A patient who has stents implanted inappropriately is unlikely to obtain a good long term result. The surgical option should not be chosen if stenting can offer a less invasive and successful treatment.

Physicians at the Texas Heart Institute have experience with over 100,000 open heart surgical procedures and 200,000 heart catheterizations to refer to in advising their patients.

Surgical options include "minimally invasive" and "off-pump" techniques which may be appropriate in selected patients as well as robotic heart surgery procedures which are currently investigational with first-generation device technology.