Open Heart Surgery
Many people are still unsure about the benefits and risks of open heart surgery. Open heart surgery is a surgical procedure in which the surgeon cuts through the breastbone to gain access to your heart. Open-heart or “cardiac” surgeries are performed when you have a heart disease in your coronary arteries, heart muscle. This kind of cardiovascular surgery can prevent a heart attack. In this article we also will discuss about open heart surgery recovery. The most common beating heart surgeries are bypass grafting (coronary artery bypass surgery), or cardiac valves replacement. Open heart surgery can be done using either a traditional approach where your chest is cut open (while you are connected to a heart lung bypass machine)or by using keyhole surgery techniques known as minimally invasive cardiac procedures (MICS). Each option has its pros and cons so it’s important to know what they are before making any decisions on how you want this type of operation done. Speak to your cardiologist to understand better your options ! Why it’s done? What happens during open-heart surgery? Open heart surgery necessitates the use of a respirator by the anesthesiologist to regulate your breathing. The surgeon makes an 8- to 10-inch incision in your chest. After, the sternal bone will be cut with a unique bone saw by the surgeon. The surgeon removes all or part of the patient’s breastbone to expose the heart. This is the off pump procedure Heart Lung bypass machine Once the heart is visible, the patient may be connected to a heart-lung machine by a perfusionist (a certified nurse who has undergone cardiac surgery training) ensures that blood is supplied to the heart during the operation. The machine moves blood away from the heart so that the surgeon can operate. Cardiac Valve repalcement The surgeon replaces an old valve with a new one (mechanical or biological) Coronary artery bypass graft During coronary artery bypass surgery, The cardiac surgeon (heart surgeon) utilizes a healthy vein or artery to create a new route around the clogged vessel. Finally, the surgeon uses wire to close the breastbone from the inside, and the original cut is closed. Recovery in the intensive care unit During this type of cardio thoracic surgery, hospital stay typically ranges from five to 11 days. After your recovery from the general anesthesia; the healthcare team will retire the breathing tube, they also will retire the chest tubes from your chest wall, and will give you blood thinners. How do I prepare for open heart surgery? There are several tests that your cardiology will have you complete before traditional heart surgery. Open-heart procedures typically require specific preoperative testing to determine whether the patient is healthy enough for an operation, and if so, what type of anesthesia should be used. Patients who smoke must quit smoking at least six weeks before major surgery because nicotine can increase bleeding during and after a coronary bypass surgery. You’ll need a chest x-ray taken within three days before the procedure to check for any problems with the lungs. You will also need an electrocardiogram and an ecocardiogram to calculate the LVEF Every patient over the age of 45 should have a cardiac catheterization. The dye may be injected into your coronary arteries via a catheter (thin tube) for X-ray pictures during this operation. Coronary angiography will be done within 24 hours before (in the preoperative period). If you have diabetes, your blood sugar level must be well controlled before surgery to reduce the risk of having a stroke or other problems during and after the operation. This surgery requires fasting before anesthesia induction. You’ll need to remove all jewelry and false teeth before going into surgery because these items may interfere with the procedure and put you at an increased risk for infection. You should also avoid wearing makeup on the day of your open-heart surgery; again this could increase your chances of developing an eye infection while in hospital care. Types of surgery Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The most common type of heart surgery is coronary artery bypass (CABG), also know as bypass surgery or coronary bypass surgery. For this surgery is needed a heart-lung machine (on pump surgery). The surgeon takes a healthy artery or vein from your legs and connects it to supply blood past the blocked portion of the coronary vasculature. This makes sure that more oxygen-rich blood can flow through them, helping with healing after blockages occur due to high cholesterol levels among other things like plaque buildup on vessel walls which leads to clogging up progression! Heart valve repair or replacement. In this heart disease, the patient has heart valves problems. Your heart valve will be replaced with a mechanical valve or a valve made from human heart, pig or cow tissue. There are two options for repair: either fixing the damage with surgery or replacing it. Surgeons may opt to use one of several types of valves depending on their diagnosis – usually they’ll try and get whatever best suits each patient’s condition because no matter what type is chosen everything can’t always bring back healthy cells lost during procedures like these! Insertion of a pacemaker This kind of surgical treatment is common for arrhythmia, the condition in which people’s hearts beat too fast, slow, or erratically. If medication does not work to regulate this rhythm problem then it may be necessary to implant a device under your skin. These devices use electrical pulses from wires connected directly into heart chambers-and they’re called “pacemakers” Maze surgery. In the case of Maze Surgery, a pattern is created within the heart’s upper chambers which can be used to redirect electrical signals along controlled paths. The surgeon creates this scar tissue to block atrial fibrillation -a type of arrhythmia that occurs when stray electric currents are going through one’s system and causing irregular heartbeat patterns. Aneurysm Repair: During this repair, the surgeon will actually remove an artery’s bulging section and replace it with a healthy

