Cardiac surgery

Cardiac surgery, also known as cardiovascular surgery, is a specialized medical field that focuses on the surgical treatment of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. Cardiac surgeons perform a wide range of procedures to treat heart diseases, correct structural abnormalities, and improve heart function. These surgeries are often complex and require advanced surgical techniques and technologies.

Key aspects of cardiac surgery include:

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG): CABG surgery is one of the most common cardiac procedures. It involves creating bypass grafts to reroute blood flow around blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. This restores blood supply to the heart muscles and improves blood circulation.

Valve Repair and Replacement: Cardiac surgeons repair or replace damaged heart valves, such as the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves. Valve surgeries restore normal blood flow and function.

Congenital Heart Defect Repair: Cardiac surgeons specialize in treating congenital heart defects present at birth. These procedures correct structural abnormalities in the heart and blood vessels, ensuring proper heart function.

Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection Repair: Cardiac surgeons address aortic aneurysms and dissections by performing surgical procedures to repair or replace weakened or damaged sections of the aorta.

Heart Transplantation: Cardiac surgeons play a critical role in heart transplantation, which involves removing a patient’s damaged heart and replacing it with a healthy donor heart.

Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs): Cardiac surgeons implant VADs to help support heart function in patients with advanced heart failure while they await heart transplantation or as a long-term solution.

Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery: Many cardiac procedures are now performed using minimally invasive techniques or robotic-assisted surgery. These approaches involve smaller incisions, reduced pain, and faster recovery times.

Arrhythmia Surgery: Cardiac surgeons collaborate with electrophysiologists to treat heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias). Surgical procedures like maze surgery or ablation can restore normal heart rhythm.

Transcatheter Interventions: Some cardiac procedures, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and transcatheter mitral valve repair (MitraClip), are performed without traditional open-heart surgery.

Cardiac surgeons work in collaboration with other medical specialists, including cardiologists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, and critical care teams, to provide comprehensive patient care. They play a crucial role in patient evaluation, surgical planning, perioperative care, and postoperative follow-up.

Advancements in cardiac surgery have led to improved outcomes, reduced complications, and enhanced patient recovery. Minimally invasive techniques, robotic-assisted surgery, and innovations in surgical instrumentation continue to shape the field, making surgical interventions safer and more effective.

In summary, cardiac surgery is a specialized field that addresses conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. Cardiac surgeons perform a wide range of surgical procedures to treat heart diseases, correct structural abnormalities, and improve heart function, aiming to improve patient health, quality of life, and overall well-being.