Things to Know On Open Heart Surgery

 A surgical procedure known as "open-heart surgery" involves cutting open the chest to operate on the heart or nearby arteries. Open-heart surgery is performed by cardiac surgeons to treat severe coronary artery disease (CAD), replace or repair heart valves, or correct structural defects in the heart. Although open heart surgery is complicated, the risk of death is very low. 

In this blog, Dr. Sujay Shad, an experienced heart surgeon who performs open heart surgery in Delhi at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, shares some valuable information about open heart surgery.

When Would Someone Need Open Heart Surgery?

A CABG could require open-heart surgery. For those with coronary heart disease, a coronary artery bypass graft might be required.

The blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle become hard and restricted with coronary heart disease. "Hardening of the arteries" is the term used to describe this condition.

The walls of the coronary arteries become hardened when fatty material deposits itself as plaque. Because of this plaque, blood cannot flow through the arteries easily. A heart attack could happen if the heart's blood flow is compromised.

Additionally, open-heart surgery is performed on:

• repair or replacement of heart valves, which is necessary to allow blood to flow through the heart.
• repair any heart tissue that is harmed or is abnormal.
• medical implants that promote proper heartbeat
• heart transplant: the replacement of a diseased heart with a donor heart

What Kinds of Open Heart Procedures are there?

Open-heart surgery is a term used to describe surgeries in which the heart is accessed through a chest incision in order to perform interventions on the heart or its major blood vessels. Here are some examples of the various open-heart procedures:

• CABG: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

The most frequent kind of open-heart surgery is this one. It involves using grafts (blood vessels taken from another part of the body or synthetic grafts) to create a bypass for blood flow around blocked or narrowed coronary arteries.

• Valve Replacement or Repair

This procedure is carried out to fix or swap out unhealthy or damaged heart valves. The affected valve is removed during the procedure, and either a mechanical valve or a biological valve is used in its place. 

• Heart Transplant

The need for a heart transplant may arise in cases of severe heart failure. The diseased heart is removed during this procedure, and a donor's healthy heart is put in its place.

• Arrhythmia Treatment

Heart irregularities, or arrhythmia, cause irregular heartbeats. During surgery, a pacemaker or an ICD is implanted inside the body to treat irregular heartbeats. Treatments for arrhythmia ablation are now readily available thanks to cutting-edge technology and skilled surgeons.

 

Procedure of Open-Heart Surgery

1. Patients will initially receive anesthesia to put them to sleep.
2. After that, the surgeon will carefully make an 8 to 10 inch incision in the chest.
3. The patient is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine as soon as the heart is visible to help with blood flow throughout the procedure.
4. A healthy vein, usually the saphenous vein from the leg, will be used to patch up the fractured vein.
5. The surgeon will close the incisions after the procedure.

How Long Exactly Does Recovery from Open Heart Surgery take?

Each person's situation is unique. However, the average length of stay in the intensive care unit is one or two days. One might not be able to eat or drink anything during this time. To help one breathe, they might also need to wear a face mask or nasal prongs. Depending on the patient's health and the procedure they underwent, they will recover differently at home. In order to track one’s recovery, they will also require ongoing care in the form of heart examinations and tests.

When recovering:

• Being exhausted and experiencing some pain are perfectly normal feelings.
• Follow the surgeon’s recommendations for wound care, and keep an eye out for indications of infection, such as redness or discharge, near the chest wound.
• Any potentially serious infection-related symptoms should be treated right away. Breathing issues, fever, and excessive perspiration are symptoms.

For more details on open heart surgery or mitral valve repair  in India, make an appointment with Dr. Sujay Shad today at the prestigious Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.