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Advanced Procedures that Make Cardiac Surgery Safer
Back to Taking Care of MeAdvanced Procedures that Make Cardiac Surgery Safer
Craig R. Smith, MD
Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Columbia University Medical Center
Phone: 800.227.2762
Traditionally, heart surgery required all patients to have a chest incision 9-10 inches in length and to be placed on the heart-lung machine to pump the blood while the heart was stopped. Both of these factors represent increased risk and discomfort for patients.
Today, many cardiac surgery procedures involve smaller incisions, with the surgeon accessing only the section of the heart being operated upon. These minimally invasive procedures reduce postoperative pain, minimize scarring, and speed recovery time. Hand-in-hand with minimally invasive techniques, many heart surgeries can now be performed off-pump, without stopping the heart. Procedures affected by these advances include the following:
- Coronary artery bypass surgery, in which the surgeon attaches a new vessel and reroutes blood around a blockage, can now be performed by restraining a small area of the beating heart to sew on the new vessel.
- To correct the abnormal heart rhythm condition known as atrial fibrillation, a procedure called surgical atrial fibrillation ablation creates incisions inside the heart to form scar tissue. This procedure can be performed as a minimally invasive procedure and without stopping the heart.
- A faulty mitral valve can be repaired by threading a slim tube called a catheter through the vessels and into the heart to bind the valve's leaflets together and prevent leakage of blood backwards from the left atrium into the left ventricle. The heart continues beating throughout the procedure, and the patient usually leaves the hospital within 48 hours.
- An aortic aneurysm (ballooning of the vessel wall) may involve damage to the valve connecting the aorta and the heart. Both problems may be addressed simultaneously using a catheter threaded through the vessels to deliver a new valve and a supportive mesh stent.
This list includes some of the most advanced procedures available. Ultimately, a highly experienced surgeon will be the best judge of what procedure is right for you or someone you love.
