Procedures

The aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves regulate blood flow through the heart. These valves keep blood flowing in the correct direction through the heart during contractions of the ventricles.

When a valve doesn’t function properly, it interferes with the blood flow and causes your heart to work harder. This can lead to other parts of your body not receiving the blood it needs.

Valve repair and replacements are procedures that treat diseases affecting the aortic, pulmonary, mitral, or tricuspid valves. Valve repair or replacement are performed through open-heart surgery or minimally invasive surgery. Heart valve repair is the first choice when treating heart valve disease because of the low risk of infection and preservation of the valve. However, the severity of your damaged heart valve will determine if you’ll need replacement.

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Chest pain
• Loss of consciousness
• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Abnormal heart sound (heart murmur)
• Pulsations in neck
• Heart failure
• Sudden cardiac death

While there are a few symptoms that can help determine if you suffer from any of the valves not working properly, you may not experience these symptoms for years. While you may think shortness of breath or abdominal pain may be normal, it may be an indicator that one of your valves needs medical attention. This is why it’s important to keep up with your wellness checks and seek medical help when you notice any of these symptoms.

Coronary arteries wrap around the entire heart and supply blood to the heart muscle through small branches. Like all other tissues in the body, the heart muscle needs oxygen-rich blood to function. The coronary arteries also help with carrying out oxygen-depleted blood away from the heart.

Coronary artery disease occurs when the blood vessels supplying the oxygenated blood to your heart become damaged or diseased from plaque buildup known as Atherosclerosis. Any coronary artery disorder or disease have serious implications by reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle, which can lead to heart attack and possible death. Plaque buildup results in decreased blood flow to your heart, which can lead to certain symptoms.

Coronary artery treatment can take place in the form of various drugs or minimally invasive surgery depending on the severity of the disease. An angioplasty, stent placement, or coronary artery bypass are performed when surgery is required for coronary artery disease. These procedures open the pathway of the artery to restore blood flow through the blood vessels.

• Chest pain (angina)
• Shortness of breath
• Heart attack

Coronary artery disease is developed over time and can start as early as childhood. The following causes can contribute to coronary artery disease:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes or insulin resistance
• Sedentary lifestyle

Atrial fibrillation(AFib) is an irregular heart rate that increases your risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related issues. AFib occurs when the left or right atrium beat erratically.

In order to correct AFib, a surgeon makes patterns with scar tissue in the atriums to restrict the electrical impulses that causes AFib. The patterns of scar tissue are “the maze,” which is why this procedure is called the maze procedure.

These symptoms can be occasional, persistent, or permanent. Seek medical attention immediately if you’re experiencing chest pain.

• Heart palpitations – Sensation that your heart is racing, pounding, or fluttering giving you the sense that your heart skipped a beat or added an extra beat.
• Weakness
• Inability to exercise
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain

A pacemaker is a small artificial device placed in your chest to help regulate your heartbeat. The pacemaker mimics the same electrical signals your body’s natural electrical system produces. There are different types of pacemakers used for specific conditions.

• Single chamber pacemaker – Carries electrical signals to the right ventricle of your heart.
• Dual chamber pacemaker – Carries electrical signals to the right ventricle and atrium of your heart to regulate the contractions between the two chambers.
• Biventricular pacemaker – This pacemaker is used to resynchronize the hearts abnormal electrical system. It stimulates the heart’s lower chambers to make the heart beat more efficiently.

Vascular surgery procedures are performed for the treatment of diseases of the arterial and venous system. This includes treatment for carotid artery stenosis, thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, and peripheral artery disease.

List of Procedures:

• Carotid Endarterectomy
• Endovascular aneurysm repair
• Lower extremity bypass
• Open aortic aneurysm repair
• Peripheral vascular angioplasty
• Upper extremity bypass
• Amputation

Thoracic surgery is performed in the chest are, specifically on the lungs and esophagus. Thoracic procedures include treating coronary disease, and thoracotomy.

• Lung cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Benign disease and tumors
• Esophageal reconstruction
• Chest tumors
• Tracheal resection
• Stent insertion
• Pneumothorax
• Pleural effusion