Heart Surgery

The heart is vital to life. When its ability to deliver blood to our bodies is hindered by injury or disease, surgery is often required.

In open heart surgery, the patient’s chest cavity is opened by surgeons, allowing direct access to the heart. The heart’s beating is stopped for a short period of time and the patient is kept alive with a heart-lung machine (called a cardiopulmonary bypass). During this period of time, the surgeon is able to make the necessary repairs to the heart of the arteries on its surface. When the repairs have been made, the heart’s beating is restarted.

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5 Things You Need to Know

Open heart surgery is one of the most common surgeries in the U.S. Nearly 700,000 surgeries are performed every year, according to the American Heart Association. The vast majority are coronary artery bypass graft procedures.
Patients who undergo open heart surgery have a longer recovery period than those experiencing most other surgeries. Many remain in the hospital for at least a week following the operation.
After release from the hospital, many patients experience mild side effects, including loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, disorientation, muscle pain and constipation. Over the course of the next month, these effects gradually disappear.
One of the biggest risks involved in open heart surgery is the possibility of neurological damage. Because the heart’s beating is stopped, there is a concern that the brain will not receive enough oxygen via the blood to maintain its normal functions. Luckily, the percentage of open heart surgery patients who receive brain damage is quite low. Other risks include infection and bleeding.
Minimally invasive heart surgery is being developed by today’s top cardiologists. We are not far off from the days where robotic-assisted heart surgery will be the norm. These surgeries are still considered to be open heart surgery.

3 Questions You Need to Ask Your Doctor

Is minimally-invasive heart surgery an option for me?
What are the risks involved with open heart surgery?
What do I need to do to prepare myself for open heart surgery?

Also Known As: Cardiac surgery, bypass surgery

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