Types of Heart Surgery
Heart surgery is often done to treat two common heart-related problems:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Heart valve disease
How Does Surgery Treat CAD?
CAD occurs when the arteries that send blood to your heart muscle become blocked. This happens as plaque builds up inside the arteries. Plaque is made up of fatty substances, such as cholesterol, in your blood. Because of the plaque, less blood can flow through your arteries, and the heart muscle cannot get all of the blood and oxygen it needs.
The major symptoms of CAD are usually chest pain (angina) or shortness of breath.4 For some people, the first signs of CAD are chest pain or a heart attack.
A primary treatment for CAD is coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. During CABG the surgeon removes a healthy section of artery or vein from another part of the body (often the leg or the chest wall). The healthy artery or vein is then connected to the heart artery. In this way the blood “bypasses” the blocked segment. This allows enough blood to flow to your heart muscle. If several arteries are blocked, a person may have a bypass graft for each blocked artery.
How Does Surgery Treat Valve Disease?
Heart valves open and close to allow blood to be pumped in and out of the heart’s four chambers. If you have a damaged valve, surgery can repair or replace the valve. The most common valves that need surgical treatment are:
- Mitral valve—which allows blood to flow from the left atrium (upper heart chamber) into the left ventricle (lower heart chamber)
- Aortic valve—which allows blood to flow from the left ventricle out to the body
Is Afib Always Detected Before Heart Surgery?
No, not always. That’s why—before you have heart surgery—it’s very important to mention to your surgeon if you have Afib, or symptoms of Afib.
Ask your surgeon about ablation to treat your Afib.