The heart’s primary role is to pump blood throughout the body. Heart diseases can disrupt the flow of blood and oxygen, which can impair many body functions. Even so, not every heart diseases require heart surgeries. Which patients actually need heart surgery? Read the explanation below.

What Is a Heart Surgery?

Heart surgery is a medical procedure to repair, replace, or restore the function of heart structures and major blood vessels so circulation remains optimal.

This surgery can be performed for people at any age, from infants to adults, depending on the type and severity of the heart condition. Based on its techniques and surgical purposes, heart surgery is divided into several types, including:

• Open heart surgery, which requires opening the chest to access the heart directly. During the operation, a heart–lung bypass machine temporarily takes over the pumping function.

   

• Closed heart surgery, which uses small incisions and does not use a bypass machine.

   

• Minimally invasive heart surgery, a type of closed heart surgery performed through smaller incisions with special instruments or robotic assistance.

When Is Heart Surgery Necessary?

Not all heart diseases have to be operated and need surgeries. To decide whether heart surgery is needed, a doctor will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s condition, including symptoms, results of supporting tests, and the response to prescribed therapy.

Heart surgery is usually recommended when medicines and non-surgical procedures no longer control a serious heart problem. In certain situations, a surgical procedure is also performed as an emergency step to save the patient’s life.

Medical conditions that commonly require heart surgery include:

Coronary Heart Disease

Blockage or narrowing of the coronary arteries can reduce blood flow to the heart muscle. If this condition is not treated, a heart attack can occur. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) creates a new route for blood to pass around the blocked vessel.

Heart Valve Disorders

Heart valves that leak, become stiff, or fail to close properly disrupt blood flow and force the heart to work harder. In these cases, doctors repair or replace the valves to restore effective pumping.

Heart Rhythm Disorders

If an abnormal heart rhythm does not improve with medication, procedures such as implanting a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) may be needed to stabilize the heartbeat.

Aortic Aneurysm

An aneurysm forms when the main artery carrying blood from the heart weakens and bulges. If it is not treated, it can rupture and threaten life. Surgeons replace the damaged segment with a synthetic graft.

Complex Arrhythmias and Severe Electrical Disorders of the Heart

For severe rhythm problems that do not respond to medicines or a pacemaker, doctors can perform surgical ablation (maze surgery) to correct the heart’s electrical pathways.

End-Stage Heart Failure

If the heart cannot pump adequately despite multiple therapies, a heart transplant may be the final option to save the patient’s life and improve quality of life.

Heart surgery is a critical step when other treatments are no longer sufficient to improve heart function. If you have questions about heart surgery, you can consult a doctor or use the consultation feature in the Ai Care app, available on the App Store and Play Store.

Looking for more information about other diseases? Click here!