What is open heart surgery?

Introduction

There are many heart surgeries done every year and amongst them 90 % are successful. The recent study tells that most of the heart problems occur due to stress and tensions. If the problem is serious then the heart or cardiac surgery is conducted. For more details see the open heart PowerPoint slides on www.slideworld.org.

What is open heart surgery ?

Open heart surgery is any surgery of heart and it is done by opening or cutting the chest and then the heart surgery is performed on the heart muscle, valves, arteries and by the cardiac or heart surgery. The word “open” refers to the cutting of chest while the surgery is in progress.

A heart-lung machine (also called cardiopulmonary bypass) is used during open heart surgery. While the doctor works upon the heart, the machine provides oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other important organs of the patient’s body. The machine is just as the temporary replacement of the heart while surgery is under process. See the open heart surgery ppt for more information on it.

The cutting of chest is the traditional approach or technique in performing open heart surgery. This is replaced by the newer techniques. Newer techniques of heart surgery are as follows:-

·         2 to 5-inch-long surgical cut in the chest wall are done when the surgery is performed and then doctor replace the valves. Muscles of the heart are divided so that the surgery can be performed.

·         Endoscopic surgery- one to four small holes in patient’s chest are done. Then he uses special instruments and a camera to perform the surgery.

·         Robot-assisted valve surgery- Two to four tiny cuts (about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch) in the patient’s chest are done and a special computer is used to control robotic arms during the surgery. A three-dimensional view of the surgery on the computer is viewed by the surgeon for better results.

These techniques don’t use the heart-lung machine instead the heart rate is reduced by medicines or mechanical device. For more on open heart surgery see the open heart surgery PowerPoint presentation.

Heart surgery and types of heart surgeries

Introduction

Heart is a muscular organ that acts like a pump to continuously send blood throughout the body. It is at the center of circulatory system. This system consists of a network of blood vessels, such as arteries, veins, and capillaries. These blood vessels carry blood to and fro to all parts or area of the body. Get more on heart by seeing heart PowerPoint (PPT) presentation.

What is Heart Surgery?

Heart surgery also known as cardiac surgery is a surgery of the heart to correct the problems of heart and is performed by a cardiac or heart surgeon.

it is done to treat complications of ischemic heart disease, correct congenital heart disease, or to treat valvular heart disease caused by various reasons including endocarditis. Heart surgery is also done in case of heart transplantation. Click here to see heart surgery ppt

Types of Heart Surgeries

• Repair or replace the valves that control blood flow through the heart's chambers
• Bypass or widen blocked or narrowed arteries to the heart
• Repair aneurysms, or bulges in the aorta, which can be deadly if they burst
• Implant devices to regulate heart rhythms
• Destroy small amounts of tissue that disturb electrical flow through the heart
• Make channels in the heart muscle to allow blood from a heart chamber directly into the heart muscle
• Boost the heart's pumping power with muscles taken from the back or abdomen
• Replace the damaged heart with a heart from a donor

Why heart Surgery?

Heart surgery is done for the following reasons:-:

• Repair or replace valves that control blood flow through the heart
• Repair abnormal or damaged structures in the heart
• Implant medical devices that regulate heart rhythms or support heart function and blood flow
• Replace a damaged heart with a healthy heart from a donor or heart transplantation

Traditionally open heart surgery is conducted by opening the chest wall to operate on the heart and then the chest is opened by cutting through a patient's chest bone. After cutting the patient is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine. 

Heart surgery can reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and increase lifespan.

Risk involved in heart surgery

·         Bleeding and other signs of inflammation can occur.

·         Infections, fever and swelling.

·         Reactions of medicines.

·         Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).

·         Memory loss or problems related to thinking and memory.

·         Harm to tissues in the heart, kidneys, and lungs.

·         Death- It is generally in the serious cases

Mostly the risk in the heart surgery are involved with the people who -

• Are older than 70
• Had previous heart surgeries
• Are suffering from High blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease, or peripheral arterial disease etc.