Heart Surgery
Surgical Procedures
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
This surgery is done to redirect or bypass the flow of blood around the section(s) of a coronary artery that is narrowed or blocked. The purpose is to improve the blood supply to your heart muscle alleviating angina/chest pain and decreasing the risk of a heart attack. Minimally invasive techniques including "Off Pump or OPCAB" (no cardiopulmonary bypass machine is used) can be done in many circumstances. More Info
Valve replacement or repair (aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary)
The heart valves are designed to allow the flow of blood through the heart in one direction. When the heart valve is not functioning properly it can be because it is to narrow or stenotic and does not open all the way. Another possible problem would be the valve not closing completely and allowing blood to flow in the wrong direction or backwards. This is called regurgitation. Valve repair or replacement surgery is often an option for this problem. There are numerous types of valves available and the heart surgeon will help decide what would be an appropriate choice for each individual. The Ross procedure can be done to replace the aortic valve with a patient's own pulmonary valve in certain cases. More Info
Mechanical Circulatory Support/Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)
Mechanical Circulatory Support through the use of a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) or artificial heart are designed to provide short or long term cardiac support for patients whose hearts are to damaged or diseased and unable to provide adequate blood flow. The devices may be used as a bridge to cardiac transplantation for people who are on the waiting list to receive a donor heart. They may also be used short term after a heart attack or heart surgery. This use allows the heart to rest and recover. VADs have also been approved for destination or life-time therapy. Destination or life-time therapy use may be indicated when end stage heart failure exists and a patient is ineligible for heart transplantation. The VAD can provide improved blood flow, better organ function, and the ability for the patient to improve physical conditioning. For heart transplant candidates, it can provide the gift of time as the patient waits for a donor heart. More information on mechanical circulatory support and ventricular assist devices
Information For Referring Physicians
Heart Transplant
A 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. More information on heart transplantation
Atrial or ventricular septal defect (ASD or VSD)
A septal defect is an opening or hole in the septum, a muscular wall that divides the right from the left sides of the heart. This defect may be between the atrium, ventricles or both. Surgical repair is often necessary to alleviate the symptoms of shortness of breath or stroke.
Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization (TMR)
Is a laser procedure intended to relieve severe angina or chest pain when cardiac bypass surgery or angioplasty are not options. More Info
MAZE
This is a surgical intervention to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). Through strategic placement of incisions in both atria, the circular electrical patterns that are responsible for this arrhythmia are interrupted and consequently the formation and conduction of errant electrical impulses is stopped. Scar tissue generated by the incisions permanently blocks the travel routes of the erroneous electrical impulses that cause AF, thus eliminating the arrhythmia. The heart's natural pacemaker originating in the SA node will resume with the normal electrical impulse. The goal of the Maze procedure is to:
-ablate the arrhythmia
-restore synchrony between the atria and the ventricles
-preserve organized atrial contraction
Surgical Ventricular Restoration (SVR)
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.
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