What happens during heart surgery?
What happens during your surgery depends on the type you’re having. It also depends on the method your surgeon uses for the operation.
Surgeons use different methods for operating on your heart. These include open-heart surgery, off-pump bypass surgery and minimally invasive heart surgery. Your care team will discuss which method is best for you — and why.
Open-heart surgery
Open-heart surgery is what most people think of when they hear someone say “heart surgery.” Your surgeon makes a 6- to 8-inch-long incision in the middle of your chest and spreads your ribcage to reach your heart. A provider will connect you to a heart-lung bypass machine, so your heart won’t be beating during the surgery.
Off-pump bypass surgery
Off-pump bypass surgery or “beating heart” surgery is like traditional open-heart surgery. But you won’t be on a heart-lung bypass machine. Providers can only use this method for CABG surgery. And it’s best for bypassing only one or two coronary arteries.
Minimally invasive surgery
Minimally invasive heart surgery or “keyhole surgery” uses smaller incisions to access your heart.
A partial sternotomy involves a 3- to 4-inch incision through part of your sternum (breastbone). A mini-thoracotomy avoids your breastbone and instead uses small cuts between your ribs.
Minimally invasive surgery sometimes uses robotics. Don’t worry — a surgeon is still in charge. But the surgeon uses computer and imaging equipment to guide robotic arms. These arms are the size of a pencil, and they hold surgical tools. The robotic arms can make complex, precise movements. This incredible, innovative approach can cut down on your surgery time and recovery time. It also needs smaller incisions than other approaches.
How long does heart surgery take?
The length of traditional open-heart surgery varies based on what the surgeon is fixing. CABG surgery (the most common type) takes about three to six hours.
Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is a surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to correct congenital heart disease; or to treat valvular heart disease from various causes, including endocarditis, rheumatic heart disease,[1] and atherosclerosis.[2] It also includes heart transplantation
What happens after heart surgery?
After your heart surgery, a provider will move you to the intensive care unit (ICU). You’ll recover in the ICU for at least one day. You’ll then move to a regular hospital room for continued rest and care.
How long you stay in the hospital depends on the surgery you had and how your body responds to it. Each person’s recovery is different. Your hospital team will keep a close eye on you and make sure you’re healing as you should. They’re also prepared to notice and respond to any issues that come up.
What bypass surgery is
Off-pump: Surgery is performed while the heart is still beating
Purpose: It is a surgical procedure to treat severe coronary artery disease (CAD) by creating a new path for blood to go around a blocked artery.
Graft: A healthy blood vessel (graft) is taken from another part of the body, such as a leg vein, chest artery, or arm artery, and used to create the new pathway.
Conventional (on-pump): The patient is connected to a heart-lung machine that takes over the functions of the heart and lungs, allowing the surgeon to operate on a still, bloodless heart.
What happens before heart surgery?
Preparation for your surgery can take weeks or months. Before scheduling your heart surgery, your medical care team will evaluate your condition. Your care team will likely include your primary care provider and cardiologist. You’ll also consult with a cardiothoracic surgeon (a cardiac surgeon who operates on organs and tissues in the chest).
Your care team will give you a medical evaluation. This includes:
- Talking about your symptoms and how long they’ve been going on.
- Talking about your medical history and your biological family’s medical history.
- Blood tests to check your cholesterol and other important numbers.