Open heart surgery

Open heart surgery is any surgery where the chest is opened and surgery is done on the heart
muscle, valves, arteries, or other parts of the heart (such as the aorta). The term "open" means
that the chest is "cut" open.
The definition of open heart surgery has become confusing because new procedures are being
done on the heart through smaller cuts. Some new procedures are being done with the heart still
beating.
See also:

Aortic valve surgery - minimally invasive

Aortic valve surgery - open
Atrial septal defect repair
Cardiac transplant
Coarctation of the aorta repair
Congenital heart defect corrective surgery
Heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft - CABG)
Heart transplant
Heart valve surgery
Hypoplastic left heart repair
Minimally invasive heart surgery (MIDCAB, OPCAB, RACAB)
Mitral valve surgery - minimally invasive
Mitral valve surgery - open
Pediatric heart surgery
Tetralogy of Fallot repair
Total anomalous pulmonary venous return correction
Transplant of the heart
Transposition of great vessels repair
Tricuspid atresia repair
Truncus arteriosus repair
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair

Description
A heart-lung machine is usually used during open heart surgery. While the surgeon works on the
heart, the machine helps send oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other organs.

Your heart surgeon will make a 2-inch to 5-inch-long surgical cut in the chest wall.
Muscles in the area will be divided so your surgeon can reach the heart. The surgeon can
fix or replace a valve or perform bypass surgery.
During endoscopic surgery, your surgeon makes one to four small holes in your chest.
Then your surgeon uses special instruments and a camera to perform the surgery.
During robot-assisted valve surgery, the surgeon makes two to four tiny cuts (about 1/2
inch to 3/4 inch) in your chest. The surgeon uses a special computer to control robotic

arms during the surgery. The surgeon sees a three-dimensional view of the surgery on
the computer. This method is very precise.
You will not need to be on a heart-lung machine for these types of surgery. However, your heart
rate will be slowed with medicine or a mechanical device. If there is a problem with these
procedures, the surgeon may have to open the chest to do the surgery.
Alternative Names
Heart surgery - open

losed Heart Surgery

Closed heart surgery implies that the "heart lung machine" or "bypass"
machine is not used and the heart is visualized but not cut open. Listed below
are details of three types of closed heart surgery:

Closed Heart Surgery

Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Coarctation of the Aorta

Blalock-Taussig Shunt

Patent Ductus Arteriousus (PDA)

PDA refers to an open vessel that allows blood to flow between the aorta and
the pulmonary artery. The ductus arteriosus is open during fetal life to
divert blood away from the unused lungs. Normally the ductus closes within
the first day of life, but for unknown reasons it sometimes remains open.
This occurence is more common in premature infants. If the PDA is small,
there may be no symptoms at all. Symptoms of a large PDA are rapid
breathing, fatigue, and slow weight gain. After surgical correction, these
symptoms will disappear. The surgery involves a left thoracotomy incision.
The vessel is "ligated" and divided in half or clipped so that there will be no
flow. This is a curative operation; no other surgery is required

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Coarctation of the Aorta

Coarctation of the Aorta is a narrowing of the oarta. It may present itself

as early as birth or in late childhood. The signs are usually high blood
pressure, or a higher blood pressure in the arms than in the legs. Older
children sometimes complain of leg cramps. Surgery to correct this will
equalize the blood pressure in the upper and lower extremities. The surgery
involves opening the chest through a left thoracotomy incision, removing the
narrowed portion of the aorta, and reattaching the two ends of the aorta
together. This is also a curative operation.

Repairs:

Subclavian Flap

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Blalock-Taussig Shunt

A Blalock-Taussig Shunt or "BT Shunt" is used to help increase blood flow to

the lungs in babies born with defects that obstruct blood flow to the lungs.
The surgery entails opening the chest either through a left or a right
thoracotomy approach and placing a Gore-Tex tube form the innominate
artery to the pulmonary artery. This is a palliative procedure, meaning that
in most cases the final repair will be done at a later date.