Open Heart Surgery

During your recovery from cardiac surgery, both in the hospital and after your discharge, a special diet promotes healing and heart health. Your doctor will prescribe your dietary restrictions. As...

Valve replacement surgery is performed when one of the four heart valves is damaged. Heart valves play a central part in blood flow through the heart, opening to allow blood to flow out through...

A heart bypass is a medical surgical procedure to address vein blockages to continue normal supply of blood to all parts of the body. If these blockages are not addressed, vital organs may cease...

While it might at first seem frightening, the procedure to implant a pacemaker is quick and relatively easy to recover from. The patient is put to sleep while the doctor puts the pacemaker in and...

A typical human heart is a bit larger than your fist and weighs anywhere from a half-pound to a full pound. The arteries of the human heart, in conjunction with the capillaries of the heart, are...

Heart bypass procedures, also known as coronary artery bypass surgeries or coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs), allow your surgeon to create another pathway around obstructed coronary arteries...

The pharmaceutical company Bayer is facing increasing scrutiny over allegations that its drug Trasylol has caused heart and kidney failure in patients who have used it. Studies in Canada and New...

Cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure that provides an inside look at the functioning of the heart and the coronary arteries that supply it. The procedure provides an invaluable...

Heart transplantation proceeded from the development of cardiosurgery as well as the success of other organ transplants. The patients who underwent the first heart transplants had a high fatality...

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) reports that more than 500,000 surgeries are done each year in the United States to repair the damage from cardiac disease or other...

Aortic valve replacement is a surgical procedure used to repair dangerous malfunctions in the heart's largest valve. The most common reason for aortic replacement in the U.S. is stenosis, or...

The heart has four valves: the tricuspid, aortic, mitral and the pulmonary (or pulmonic). Valves regulate blood flow between the four chambers of the heart, and between the heart and the aorta and...

The Ross procedure is an advanced form of aortic valve replacement performed in the U.S. since the 1980s. It is essentially two surgeries in one, combining aortic replacement with secondary...

A pacemaker is a small electrical device that is implanted in the body to correct abnormal heart rhythms. Electrical impulses provide a slight electrical charge to jolt the heart back into rhythm....

Anytime a patient undergoes cardiac treatment or surgery, the patient's doctor will likely recommend dietary changes. Preparing for heart surgery may mean the patient is asked to change his diet...

A persantine radionuclide test is a cardiac diagnostic test. It is usually administered to patients who cannot exercise who may have heart problems. Normally, when testing for heart problems or...

Undergoing any type of surgery can be frightening. There are many variables and unknown factors that can cause patients to worry about the procedure. Heart surgery is a very extensive process and...

Bypass surgery is a procedure in which surgeons take a vein from another part of the body---typically the chest, leg or arm---and use it to bypass a vein or artery in the heart that has become...

Heart bypass surgery is quite successful in the U.S. today. Individual patients' recovery time varies from 6 weeks to 6 months, following specific guidelines designed for them by their doctor....

A heart bypass, also called a coronary bypass, is a surgery which allows blood to flow to the heart even though arteries are blocked. This procedure is done to correct some of the problems of...

The heart has four sections and four valves. The right and left upper chambers are called the atrium, while the right and left bottom chambers are called ventricles. The valves are located between...

A triple bypass surgery is when a surgeon replaces three clogged coronary arteries with either artificial or donated ones. Arteries are tubes in your body that carry oxygenated blood to your...

Open-heart surgery is any cardiac surgery where the chest is opened and the heart exposed during surgery. The heart itself may or may not be opened, depending on the specific procedure being...

A myectomy is a major heart surgery as a portion of your septum will be shaved off and your breast bone will be broken. Be prepared to take plenty of time to recover. Following your surgeon's...

Open-heart surgery is a common medical procedure that can save lives and improve the quality of a patient's life. However, no surgery is without risks, and understanding the risk factors of...

Many who undergo open heart surgery worry that the scar will last forever. The incision in the center of the chest is vertical and between 7 and 10 inches long, to allow the surgeon to open the...

Making the commitment to help a senior recover from open heart surgery can seem like a daunting task. Fortunately, most patients start to show signs of recovery after 6 to 8 weeks. You can improve...

Having open heart surgery is a life-changing event. You may think that your activity level will be severely restricted after open heart surgery, and having to deal with depression after an open...

A heart transplant is a major surgery that requires the recipient to follow strict doctor's orders to recover. A heart transplant patient's recovery can be delayed if she doesn't listen to her...

Open-heart surgery may need to be performed to replace a heart valve or do a coronary bypass. An incision is made on the chest and the sternum is cut open. Not only does the heart have to heal...

When it comes to your health in general, and surgery in particular, it's not true that you can simply "go along for the ride." The choices you make prior to your open heart surgery can...

When facing something that sounds as daunting as open heart surgery, it's natural to have a battery of questions. Perhaps the most frequently asked questions are, "What will this surgery do for...

A consultation is the best place and time for you to ask any questions you may have about open heart surgery. This is an opportunity to have a captive audience with a cardiac surgeon, and to find...

Every doctor, just like every patient, will have different ideas, opinions and understanding of modern medical methods. This is why it's so important to know how to get a second opinion—not just...

It's a fact of life that, no matter what your medical condition, your treatment options are going to be limited by what your insurance provider will cover. It's important when diagnosed with an...

A recommendation for or against open heart surgery isn't a prescription to be simply accepted and followed. People are taking greater control over their own healthcare decisions, and the ease with...

If you have hardened arteries, it is important to learn how to treat coronary artery disease with heart surgery. When you understand what is being prescribed for you, and why, you will have...

In addition to the physical and emotional ramifications of surgery, people have to consider how they will pay for the procedure, as well as for medications and post-operative care. Fortunately,...

As medical technology and understanding progress at astonishing rates, more alternatives to open heart surgery are being scrutinized and brought to market. If you have a condition for which open...

Open heart surgery is a major operation and the hours following surgery are considered critical. The duration of your hospital stay after the surgery depends on the exact condition or healing of...

Are you anxious to know about how much time an open-heart surgery takes? It depends upon the condition of the heart as well as on the overall medical status of the patient. Follow these steps to...

Open-heart surgery is usually performed to fix congenital heart defects, to replace a defective valve, or to bypass blood supply around the blocked heart arteries. It's a major operation. You need...

Heart surgery is aimed at improving the functioning of a heart that is working abnormally. The surgeon opens the patient’s rib cage to surgically rectify a heart valve or coronary artery while...

Open-heart surgery is a major operation that is often risky. Experiencing pain in the operated region is quite common. Make sure you obtain all the relevant information, especially about getting...

Have you recently undergone open-heart surgery? Are you planning to have this major heart operation? If so, you’re probably wondering how much time the recovery will take. Your doctor is the best...

Do you have any serious breathing problems? Are you having chest pain frequently? Do you have a history of heart ailments? If so, there may be need for open-heart surgery in case the heart...

With advancements in medical science, more information on various techniques and procedures is available to patients. This is especially true with surgical processes, especially open heart...

Medical science has evolved greatly over the last two decades, and several new techniques are being developed, especially for surgery. Open heart surgery is no exception, and the techniques and...

Every surgery has its share of complications and risks. If you're having open-heart surgery, the risk of complications will differ depending on your existing health condition. Here are some ways...

The most important decision when it comes to having open-heart surgery is choosing your surgeon. Before selecting a surgeon, be sure to check all of his or her records and credentials. Here's how.