What is off-pump CABG?
Off-pump CABG, or OPCAB, is a specific type of coronary bypass operation in which the heart-lung machine is not used and the heart continues to beat throughout the procedure. Specialized equipment is used to stabilize the heart motion during each bypass graft. There are select circumstances in which it is preferable to perform OPCAB surgery. Our surgeons are facile in all OPCAB techniques and employ this approach whenever it will benefit our patients. Valve Repair/Replacement The function of the four heart valves (aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonic) is to maintain unrestricted blood flow in a forward direction. When a valve becomes diseased, two things may happen; the valve may become too tight and restrict the passage of blood through it (stenosis), or, the valve may not close properly so that blood leaks in a backward direction (regurgitation or insufficiency). If either of these situations is severe, surgical repair of the valve or replacement with a new valve is required. Some
