Heather M. Currier, MD, FACCP, has just joined the team at Lexington Cardiovascular Surgery as a cardiothoracic surgeon. In this role, she treats as a variety of cardiovascular and thoracic services, including aortic/mitral valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting, and procedures for ascending and thoracic aneurysms, pulmonary diseases, esophageal tumors, lung masses and carotid arteries.
According to the American Heart Association, more than 46 percent of Americans have some form of heart disease. The percentage is higher in patients who are smokers or diabetics. Heart disease is the #1 killer of adults in America. In fact, it kills more people than many forms of cancer combined.
In this WLTX interview, she talked more about her job and her background.
According to Dr. Currier, the most common surgery performed in South Carolina is coronary artery bypass surgery. That's for someone who has blockages or has suffered a heart attack and needs surgery. During the procedure, doctors take vessels from the patients' legs and use them to bypass the blockages in the heart. Additionally, as our population gets older, doctors are performing more valve replacement surgery. Over time, heart valves can wear out and either need to be repaired or replaced.
About Dr. Currier Dr. Currier is an honors graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She earned her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, earning outstanding performance distinction in surgery. She went on to complete a general surgery residency at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. She is board certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Dr. Currier retired as a colonel from the United States Army after more than 24 years of active duty. At retirement, she was serving as the chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at both Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Georgia, and Charlie Norwood Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.
Dr. Currier is a recipient of the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster for her combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her other positions and awards include Deputy Commander of Surgical Services, Chief of Surgery, the Army Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Ribbon. In addition to these accomplishments, in 2014, the American Board of Cardiology awarded her with its Award of Honor and recognized her as a board consultant for cardiac surgery.
Prior to joining the Lexington Medical Center Network of Care, Dr. Currier was a practicing cardiothoracic surgeon at Augusta University Medical Center, University Hospital and Georgia Children’s Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, and provided locums coverage at Piedmont Athens Regional in Athens, Georgia. She also serves as an advanced trauma life support instructor.
