Heart Surgery

Traditional open heart surgery involves a large incision to open the chest and perform surgery on the heart, including the valves, arteries and other areas. In most open heart surgeries, a heart-lung machine is used to keep oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain and body. 

Minimally invasive heart surgery involves a few small incisions around the surgical area and remote imagery to perform procedures. The surgeon inserts thin specialized instruments, along with a video camera attached to a scope, through the incisions. The camera transmits an image of the internal organs onto a monitor, and the surgeon uses the image as a guide.

Minimally invasive surgical techniques can potentially result in a faster recovery, less blood loss, reduced pain and a shorter hospital stay.

Robot-assisted heart surgery combines minimally invasive surgical techniques with an advanced robotics system. The surgeon sits at a console in the operating room and remotely controls and manipulates tiny specialized instruments attached to robotic arms while a powerful camera provides magnified 3-D images of the area and the surrounding nerves and tissues.

The surgical robot translates the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of the instruments inside the body. Robotic surgery often allows for enhanced dexterity and precision.

The surgeon makes incisions in the atria (top chambers of the heart) to block electrical currents causing abnormal heart rhythms. The procedure may be performed as traditional open heart surgery or combined with other procedures, including robot-assisted surgery or other minimally invasive procedures.

Also known as CABG or bypass surgery, this procedure bypasses a blocked coronary artery by surgically placing a new healthy vessel from another part of the body around it. The surgery can be performed as traditional open heart surgery, minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery, in which a surgeon harvests an internal artery using the tiny robotic arms, then makes a small incision to connect the artery to the coronary artery below the blocked area.

Used to close a hole in the wall of the heart between the left and right atria (top chambers), this surgery can be performed as traditional open heart surgery, minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

The surgery is a traditional open heart procedure to close a hole in the wall of the heart between the left and right ventricles (bottom chambers). Many ventricular septal defects do not cause heart problems, will repair on their own or can be repaired non-surgically.

Also known as David procedure, this surgery treats aortic aneurysms (weaknesses in the wall of the aortic valve) while preventing the aortic valve from tearing or separating. If the aortic valve is diseased, a bioprosthetic valve made of animal tissue is used as a replacement. The procedure may be traditional open heart or partial open heart surgery (partial sternotomy).

The section of the aorta leaving the heart is repaired. The surgery may be traditional open heart or partial open heart (partial sternotomy).

Used to replace or strengthen the aorta with a fabric tube graft, this surgery may also be traditional open heart.

Surgeons repair the aortic valve by inserting a replacement valve inside the section of damaged valve. The surgery is minimally invasive.

The surgeon uses an artificial (mechanical) valve or biological valve to replace the aortic valve. The surgery may be open heart aortic valve repair, minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

The surgeon may use an artificial (mechanical) valve or biological valve. The surgery is minimally invasive.

Using an artificial (mechanical) valve or biological valve, the surgeon repairs or replaces the damaged tricuspid valve between the heart’s right atrium and right ventricle. It may be traditional open heart, minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

Using an artificial (mechanical) valve or biological valve, the surgeon repairs or replaces a damaged mitral valve between the heart’s left atrium and left ventricle. This procedure may be traditional open heart, minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

The surgeon implants a mechanical pump to provide circulatory support for a weakened heart, ensuring that oxygen-rich blood is pumped through the body.

In video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, the surgeon inserts an instrument called a thoracoscope through small incisions in the chest to perform lung procedures. The surgery may be minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

Cardiac tumor removal is a treatment for rare benign or malignant (cancerous) tumors in the heart or heart valves. These tumors typically originate in the heart. Most malignant tumors of the heart have spread from other parts of the body. The surgery may be minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

Mediastinal tumor removal is surgery to treat benign or malignant tumors that form in the mediastinum, which is the part of the chest between the sternum and spinal cord bordered by the lungs. The surgery may be minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

Thrombectomy is a procedure to remove a blot clot from a blood vessel. This type of cardiothoracic surgery may be minimally invasive or robot-assisted surgery.

Pericardial window is a cardiac surgical procedure that makes an opening between the ribs to drain accumulated fluid around the heart.