Open-heart surgery
During open-heart surgery, a cardiothoracic surgeon makes an incision in the chest to gain access to the heart to treat coronary artery disease, heart failure, congenital heart defects, arrhythmias, and aneurysms.
Open-heart surgery procedures include but are not limited to, coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve replacement, and heart transplant procedures. Open-heart surgery is a proven treatment for appropriate candidates.
Coronary bypass surgery
For those who have blockages or partially blocked arteries in the heart, this procedure uses a healthy blood vessel from the patient’s leg or chest area to create a new path for blood to flow around the blockage and improve blood flow to the heart. Although it doesn't cure the heart disease that caused a blockage, coronary bypass surgery can reduce symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath and may reduce the risk of heart disease-related death.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
This is a minimally invasive alternative to an open surgical procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve opening) or those with a failing surgical aortic valve who are at elevated risk for complications during open surgery. When severe aortic stenosis occurs, the heart valve does not open and close properly and needs to work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body, which in turn can limit your daily activity. With TAVR, an artificial valve is delivered to the heart through a thin, flexible tube (catheter) that is inserted into one of several possible access routes and placed into the diseased valve. Cardiac surgeons work with interventional cardiologists to perform this procedure, which typically takes one hour or less to complete.