Cardiac Surgery Treatment and Procedures
Coronary Artery Bypass
Coronary artery bypass grafting or is one of the most commonly performed "open heart" operations in the United States. It is performed when there is either a narrowing or blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries. Bypass surgery improves the blood flow to the heart with a new route, or "bypass," around the section of narrowed artery. This surgery involves taking a segment of a healthy blood vessel usually a vein in your leg or an artery from either your chest or arm and sewing it to bypass the section of the diseased coronary artery. This creates a new route for blood to flow so that the heart muscle will get the oxygen-rich blood it needs to work properly. Depending on how many coronary arteries are blocked one, two, three or more bypasses can be done.
Valve Repair
There are several different procedures surgeons may use to repair a valve.
- Valvuloplasty, which strengthens the leaflets to provide more support and to let the valve close tightly. This support comes from a ring-like device that surgeons attach around the outside of the valve opening.
- Commissurotomy, which is used for narrowed valves, where the leaflets are thickened and perhaps stuck together. The surgeon opens the valve by cutting the points where the leaflets meet.
- Decalcification, which removes calcium buildup from the leaflets. Once the calcium is removed, the leaflets can close properly.
- Repair of structural support, which replaces or shortens the cords that give the valves support (these cords are called the chordae tendineae and the papillary muscles). When the cords are the right length, the valve can close properly.
Artificial Heart or Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Implantation
The Artificial Heart and Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices, sometimes referred to as Ventricular or Heart Assist Device, are designed to provide short or long term cardiac support for patients whose hearts are to damaged or diseased to provide adequate blood flow. Please see the Mechanical Circulatory Support Device page for more information.
Heart Transplantation
Heart transplant is the surgical placement of a healthy heart from a human donor into another individual whose own heart is badly diseased and functioning poorly. Heart transplantation is an option for some people who are not candidates for conventional medical therapy or have not been helped by conventional medical therapy. Please see the Heart Transplantation page for more information.
Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR)
Patients with coronary artery disease are treated with interventional procedures (angioplasty and stenting), coronary artery bypass grafting and medications to improve blood flow to the heart muscle. Sometimes these procedures do not eliminate the symptoms of chest pain, transmyocardial laser revascularization or TMR is another treatment option. A special carbon dioxide (CO2) laser is used to create small channels in the heart muscle, improving blood flow in the heart. The procedure is performed through a small left chest incision or through a midline incision. Frequently, it is performed with coronary artery bypass surgery, but occasionally it is performed independently.
Surgical Ventricular Restoration for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Is a surgical procedure for patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) that restores the enlarged left ventricle (heart chamber) to a more normal size and shape, greatly improving the pumping action of the heart. The surgeon remodels the dilated ventricle using a device sized and shaped like a normal ventricle. This remodeling or ventricular restoration results in improving the heart's pumping ability. When the heart can pump more effectively many of the symptoms associated with CHF, such as shortness of breath, fatigue and edema are improved or relieved.
Pectus Excavatum
This is a surgical procedure done to correct a deformity in the breastbone. The extent of the procedure will vary depending on the extent of the deformity and any effects it may have on underlying chest structures such as the heart, trachea esophagus or lungs. Pectus deformities are one of the most common congenital chest wall deformities and are more popularly known as "funnel chest or sunken chest" (pectus excavatum) and "pigeon chest" (pectus carinatum).
Mediastinal resections
This is a surgical procedure done to resect or remove tumors in the mediastinum. The mediastinum is the area between the right and left pleural cavities(where the lungs are) and contains the heart, great vessels, lower esophagus and trachea, multiple lymph nodes and thymus gland.
