Understanding your surgery
Different heart conditions require different types of heart surgery. Learn more diseases and conditions, as well as tests and treatments. If you have any questions, please let your care team know.
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Bypass surgery alleviates angina that results from the decrease in oxygen to the heart. After the bypass surgery more oxygen will be supplied to your heart muscle by increased coronary blood flow. Although the majority of patients are completely free of angina after bypass surgery, bypass surgery does not cure coronary artery disease! Your angina may reoccur. You will need to modify your lifestyle to slow the progression of coronary artery disease.
Common and temporary side effects of coronary artery bypass surgery
- Numbness and pain along the incisions
- Swelling of the ankle and foot where the vein was removed
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Irregular heart beting for a short period of time (common, usually short lived and corrected before discharge)
- Emotional changes
- Occasional confusion
- Numbness and tingling of the left breast area, (when the internal mammary artery has been used), and fingers, (when the radial artery has been used), for the bypass.
- Poor appetite
Heart valve surgery
Heart valve surgery repairs or replaces damaged heart valves. When repair is not possible it is necessary to replace the valve with an artificial valve. Some valves are made of animal material and others are mechanical and have man-made parts.
Common risks of heart valve surgery
The risks of developing complications after heart valve surgery depend upon:
- Age
- The condition of the heart muscle
- How many valves need to be repaired or replaced
Patients having coronary artery bypass surgery at the same time as a valve operation are at a slightly higher risk of developing complications. There are additional complications associated with an artificial valve. These may include
- Stroke
- Infection
- Heartbeat disturbance (requiring the implanting of a permanent pacemaker)
Tissue and mechanical valves
Tissue Valves
- Advantages: Drugs that thin the blood (anticoagulants) are normally not necessary after the first three months following valve surgery.
- Disadvantages: Normally do not last as long as mechanical valves. Further surgery may be required.
Mechanical Valves
- Advantages: These valves are man made and very durable, therefore they last longer than tissue valves (often several decades)
- Disadvantages: The patients must take blood thinners (anticoagulants) for the rest of their life.
Atrial septal defect (ASD)
An atrial septal defect is congenital (occurs before birth). It is an abnormal opening in the wall between the two upper chambers (atria) of the heart. This opening allows blood flow between these chambers. The work of the heart may increase because the opening allows extra blood to go to the lungs. Individuals with an ASD may experience:
- Respiratory infections (colds)
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Shortness of breath on exertion
- Irregular heart beat
- Or there may be no symptoms
Surgery is usually recommended to avoid increasing the workload on the heart. During surgery the opening is sewn together or patched with synthetic material or tissue from around the heart. After this surgery blood follows the normal pathway through the heart chambers.
Aneurysm
The heart may widen causing a bulging (ballooning) of the muscle. This is called an aneurysm of the heart. An aneurysm may also occur on the arch of blood vessel which leaves the heart. This is called an aneurysm of the aorta.
Symptoms may be:
- Shortness of breath
- Pain
- Irregular heartbeats
During surgery the aneurysm is either removed or patched.
Minimally invasive surgery
Some people may be suitable to have their surgery through a small incision on the left side of the chest without the use of the heart lung bypass machine. This type of surgery will be decided by the surgeon.
MAZE procedure
The MAZE procedure is an operation being performed to treat an irregular heartbeat called "Atrial Fibrillation". This arrhythmia causes the heart to beat very fast and irregular, making it work less efficiently and sometimes causing unpleasant side effects.
During the operation a long cable, (known as an ablation catheter), is threaded around the part of the heart thought to be causing atrial fibrillation, and microwave energy is applied to the heart tissue. The resulting scar should interrupt the electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation.
The MAZE procedure may be performed at the same time as bypass or valve surgery. The "Modified Maze" is when the operation is done through a number of small incisions made in each side of the chest. Because there is no large incision in the chest wall and the breast- bone is not opened, many risks can be avoided and patients usually go home in 3-4 days.
