Our cardiac surgeons perform more than 700 valvular and heart surgeries each year, including:
Heart Valve Replacement - When the heart valves have been severely damaged by infection, rheumatic fever or degeneration, they may need to be repaired or replaced. There are several different types of artificial valves:
Valve from animal tissue very similar to that of the human heart valve
Artificial valve made of synthetic materials, such as the St. Jude Valve
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery - Also known as CABG, this is a procedure in which the coronary arteries are surgically bypassed using either a vein, usually from the leg (saphenous vein), or an artery from the chest wall (internal mammary artery) or arm (radial artery). One end of the vein is placed into the aorta and the other is connected to the coronary artery beyond the blockage. This serves as a bridge around the blockage, allowing blood to flow into areas where it had been decreased. The operation is usually done to relieve the symptoms of angina, or in special circumstances, to prolong life when major arteries are narrowed and pumping function is decreased.
