Cardiac Surgery

What is it?

For patients whose conditions cannot be treated using minimally invasive techniques, traditional open heart surgery may be necessary. Cardiac surgery can correct complex heart valve disorders, congenital heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and coronary artery disease.  These procedures are done by cardiovascular surgeons who operate on the internal structures of the heart by opening the chest wall in an operating room environment. The patient is sedated and then a heart-lung bypass machine is used to take over the pumping action of the heart during surgery. This allows the surgeons to operate with no blood flowing through the heart and no beating or movement of the heart during the procedure.  Post-operatively, patients recover in our intensive care unit with the help of an expert team of physicians, advanced practice nurses, nursing staff, and other specialists.