Cardiovascular and Cardiothoracic Surgery

A procedure that is like traditional open-heart surgery, where the chest wall is opened to access the heart. The difference is that the heart is not stopped during surgery, and the patient is not connected to a heart-lung bypass machine. The surgeon uses a stabilizing device to make the heart still in the precise spot where they are sewing. This procedure can avoid some complications in patients who are at higher risk.  

A type of surgical approach that involves making smaller incisions in the side of the chest between the ribs without opening the breastbone to reach the heart. The most common example of this surgery is robotic-assisted surgery, where a surgeon uses a computer to control surgical tools on thin robotic arms to do complex and highly precise surgery. This can result in reduced scarring, quicker recovery time and lower risk of infection.

This procedure removes plaque or other obstructions constricting the lining of an artery and inhibiting blood flow.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is a minimally invasive procedure to treat aortic stenosis, a condition characterized by the narrowing of the aortic valve, which blocks blood flow in the body and forces the heart to work harder. TAVR replaces a malfunctioning or diseased aortic valve with a prosthetic from animal tissue.

Repairing valves preserves the strength and function of the heart muscle, which is why, when possible, heart valve repair is preferable over heart valve replacement. In a MitraClip^TM procedure, surgeons repair the mitral valve using a flexible thin tube called a catheter guided through a vein in the patient's leg to reach the heart. A small implant is attached to the mitral valve to help it close entirely and restore normal blood flow. People who have valve repair do not need blood-thinning medicines for the rest of their lives.

Coronary artery bypass grafting is the most common type of heart surgery to treat people with severe coronary artery blockages. During a CABG, the surgeon takes healthy arteries or veins from other body parts and sews them to a normal part of the coronary artery past the blockage, thereby "bypassing" the blockage. The grafted arteries or veins reroute the blood around the blocked portion of the artery to supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.

The type of surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm depends on its cause or size or how quickly it grows. Endovascular aneurysm repair is a less invasive option to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms using cardiac catheterization. This procedure involves making a small cut in the groin to insert an expandable stent graft (a tube covered with fabric) through the blood vessels up to the aorta. As the stent expands and attaches to the aortic walls, a seal forms between the stent graft and the vessel wall to prevent blood from entering the aortic aneurysm. 

Patients who have had heart surgery sometimes require a cardiac reoperation or reintervention, a subsequent surgery to address complications that develop over time. 

The aortic valve separates the heart and aorta. When it does not close or open fully, it can interrupt the blood flow to and from the heart. Aortic valve surgery is a minimally invasive surgery to replace faulty valves that cause significant heart symptoms and damage.

The carotid arteries are located on each side of the neck, transporting blood to the brain and face. When plaque builds up in the carotid arteries and causes a blockage, it can reduce the blood supply and cause a transient ischemic attack or stroke. Doctors perform carotid artery surgery to restore proper blood flow to the brain.

The esophagus is a tube that moves food from the throat to the stomach. Esophagectomy is a minimally invasive surgery that allows surgeons to remove part or all of the esophagus with cancer. 

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways, which can lead to wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest. Bronchial thermoplasty is a safe and cost-effective treatment option for severe asthma. It uses heat to shrink the smooth muscle in the lungs and reduce tightness in the airways, allowing a person to breathe more easily.

Pulmonologists use endobronchial ultrasound to diagnose various lung disorders, including inflammation, infections or cancer. Endobronchial ultrasound involves using a flexible tube with a camera that goes through the mouth and into the windpipe and lungs to create local images of the structures in the chest. This procedure allows pulmonologists to locate and evaluate areas more accurately than X-rays and other scans.