Cardiothoracic Surgeons generally perform surgery of the heart and chest. Cardiologists work with surgeons to manage patients and determine whether the patient needs surgery. They might also work together to treat irregular heart beat problems.
WHAT IS CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY?
Cardiothoracic surgery treats conditions in the heart, lungs, and chest. Our surgeons perform a variety of cardiothoracic surgeries, from minimally invasive to heart transplants.
A few common cardiothoracic surgeries and procedures include:
Angioplasty
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA, or balloon angioplasty) helps restore a healthy blood flow to the heart by reopening arteries that are narrowed by fatty plaque.
Stent placement
A stent is a small metal coil or tube that is placed in a narrowed artery to hold it open. To place the stent, your healthcare provider first performs angioplasty or atherectomy to compress or cut away plaque buildup in the artery.
Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)
To correct abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and help your heart beat more efficiently, your doctor may recommend a device implant. The most common device implants are pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).
Open heart surgery. Most often, open heart surgeries treat blockages in the coronary arteries or correct problems with the heart valves. Open heart procedures can also repair heart defects and help correct heart rhythm problems.
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, often pronounced “cabbage”) is one of the most commonly performed open heart surgeries. In this procedure, a vein from your leg — or an artery from your chest wall or arm — is used to bypass a coronary artery that is narrowed or blocked by fatty plaque buildup.
Heart valve repair or replacement
If your heart valves have been damaged or diseased, they may fail to open and close correctly. This puts extra strain on your heart muscle. In this case, your healthcare providers may recommend open heart surgery to repair or replace your heart valve(s).
Ventricular assist devices
A ventricular assist device is an implantable heart pump that is used to treat heart failure.
Heart transplant
A heart transplant replaces a severely diseased or malformed heart with a new heart from a human organ donor. This procedure is considered for late-stage heart failure after other attempts have failed
Carotid surgery
The name carotid endarterectomy is a mouthful, but it is a relatively simple surgery that removes plaque in one of your carotid arteries (the main arteries in your neck that supply blood to the brain).