What types of cardiac surgery procedures do patients undergo?
Procedures can be done alone or in combination, depending on your situation. Some major types include: • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) – creates new pathways around the areas of your blocked arteries, allowing blood flow to be restored. Your coronary arteries are bypassed with an artery or vein taken from another part of your body. • Heart Valve Surgery – involves the repair or replacement of a damaged valve(s). • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures – less invasive cardiac surgical procedures with smaller incisions. This is an expanding field with new techniques and instruments constantly under development. • Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization (TMR) – involves a small opening in the chest while your heart is beating. About 20-40 laser-drilled channels are created from the outside of the heart through the left ventricular wall. • Congenital repairs – involve efforts to correct or rebuild the structure of the heart. It can be done by removing damaged portions of the
