Heart Surgery
Open heart surgery is an operation in which the surgeon makes an incision on the chest to do one or more of the following:
- Bypass blockages (narrowings) in the heart’s blood vessels
- Replace or repair one or more heart valves
- Repair a heart defect (due to birth defects) or an aneurysm (a weakness in the wall of a blood vessel - usually an artery)
There are two main types of heart surgery:
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
- Valve Surgery
(CABG) surgery
When blockages or narrowing occur in the heart blood vessels (coronary arteries), the heart muscle is unable to get enough blood and oxygen. The narrowing causes symptoms such as angina (chest pain) or even a heart attack. The surgeon improves blood flow to the heart muscle by attaching (grafting) a piece of blood vessel above and below the blocked or narrowed section of artery. Blood then “bypasses” the blocked or narrowed section of blood vessel to nourish the heart muscle. The graft blood vessel usually is obtained from your leg, chest or arm.
The opening in the breastbone is closed with steel wires that are not removed. The skin is closed with stitches that dissolve in a few weeks. A drainage tube is placed near the heart and usually is removed two to three days after surgery.
Valve surgery
Sometimes the heart valves leak or they do not completely open. Heart valves that do not work well increase the amount of work the heart has to do to pump. When the heart is pumping very hard, you can have symptoms such as chest discomfort, fatigue, shortness of breath and dizziness. Heart valves may not work properly for many reasons, including:
- Birth defects
- Scarlet fever
- Rheumatic fever
- Bacterial endocarditis (infection of the valves)
- Degenerative (wear out with age)
Your doctor will decide whether you need your valve repaired or replaced. There are several types of replacement valves:
- Mechanical
- Bio prosthetic (made of cow or pig tissue)
For valve replacement surgery, the surgeon opens the chest through the sternum (breastbone) or between the ribs. A heart-lung machine is used to pump blood and oxygen to your body during the operation. The sternum is closed with steel wires that are not removed. The skin is closed with stitches that dissolve in a few weeks. A drainage tube is placed near the heart that is usually removed two or three days after surgery. If a mechanical valve is used, you will need to take blood thinning medicine for the rest of your life. This prevents the build-up of blood clots on the new valve.
