Cardiac (Open Heart) Surgery
Exceptional Outcomes with Cardiac Surgery for Heart Damage Repair
Heart surgery is one of the many treatment options offered by the highly skilled cardiac surgeons at Loyola Medicine. Loyola’s multidisciplinary team of cardiac surgeons specializes in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the heart and chest.
Whether you have been diagnosed with heart valve disease, a blocked heart artery or a congenital heart defect, Loyola cardiologists and cardiac surgeons have extensive experience in heart surgery, providing exceptional outcomes and improving your quality of life.
Doctors at Loyola aim to repair your heart using minimally invasive techniques whenever possible. If your condition cannot be treated using minimally invasive techniques, traditional open heart surgery may be recommended.
Open heart surgery is any surgery in which your chest wall is cut open and surgery is performed on your heart muscle, valves, arteries or other parts of your heart. Open heart surgery can be performed for a variety of reasons—and according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the most common type of heart surgery done on adults. Heart surgery may also be done to repair your heart valves, repair damaged areas of your heart or implant devices to help your heart beat properly.
Doctors at Loyola have access to state-of-the-art technology and world class facilities, providing you with expert technique in even the most complex open heart surgical procedures, including:
- Aortic aneurysm treatments
- Balloon valvuloplasty
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
- Coronary stenting
- Endocarditis treatment
- Heart transplantation
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
- Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation
- Percutaneous ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation
- Surgical valve treatments
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
- Valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSARR)
Why Choose Loyola For Open Heart Surgery?
Loyola’s cardiology and heart surgery program and our surgeons are nationally recognized. Loyola’s multidisciplinary team of specialists works with you to help you understand your treatment options and implement a comprehensive care strategy.
What to Expect with Open Heart Surgery
Open heart surgery is performed by Loyola’s expert cardiovascular surgeons, who are specially trained to operate on the internal structures of the heart by opening the chest wall in an operating room environment.
You will be sedated and most likely connected to a heart-lung machine, which is used to take over the pumping action of your heart during surgery. This allows your surgeon to operate with no blood flowing through the heart and no beating or movement of your heart during the procedure.
Following surgery, you will recover in Loyola’s intensive care unit with the help of an expert team of physicians, advanced practice nurses, nursing staff and other specialists.
What Diseases are Treated with Cardiac Surgery?
Heart surgery at Loyola is used to treat a variety of complex heart valve disorders, ischemic heart disease and coronary artery disease, including:
- Arrhythmia
- Congenital heart defects
- Endocarditis
- Heart attack
- Holes in the heart
- Heart murmur
- Removal of benign tumors
- Structural heart disease
Regardless of your condition, experts at Loyola will use the latest in diagnostic techniques and imaging equipment to develop a treatment plan that is right for you.
What are the Risks of Open Heart Surgery?
Doctors at Loyola take every precaution to minimize your risks with open heart surgery. As with any surgery, there are some risks involved and they may include:
- Blood clot
- Blood loss
- Chest pain
- Chest wound infection
- Heart attack or stroke
- Heart failure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Lung or kidney failure
Request an Appointment
Loyola Medicine heart and vascular specialists have the experience and technology to treat the most difficult cardiac and vascular conditions. Schedule an appointment today.
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