Cardiac Surgery

Each surgical procedure is tailored specifically for the individual patient, with a specially trained care team working together to provide a great deal of personal attention before, during and after the surgery.

Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG)

– Also known as “heart bypass surgery,” this procedure improves blood flow to the heart by taking a healthy blood vessel from the back of the chest wall or from the arm or leg, and grafting one end onto the aorta and the other end below the blocked portion of the affected coronary artery. In this way, the blockage is bypassed and oxygen-rich blood can flow freely again. For appropriate patients, AtlantiCare offers “off-pump” or “beating heart” open-heart surgery, meaning that the procedure is performed without stopping the heart. This can result in a shorter recovery time and less risk of complications.

Minimally invasive CABG

– “Mini-CABG,” also performed by the experienced cardiothoracic surgeons at ARMC, requires a much smaller incision than open heart CABG and offers important benefits for properly selected patients.

BENEFITS OF MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY

• Smaller incision, less scarring
• Less pain
• Lower risks of bleeding and infection
• Shorter hospital stay
• Fewer complications
• Quicker recovery time
• Faster return to normal activities

Heart valve repair and replacement

– Heart valves control the direction of blood flow in the heart. If a valve leaks or narrows because of a build-up of calcium and other substances, the heart does not function properly.

Whenever possible, heart valves are repaired rather than replaced. That’s because valve repair often results in better long-term survival, better preservation of heart function, lower risk of complications, and decreased need for the life-long use of blood thinners.

Minimally invasive valve surgery

– This innovative surgery is an important option available to appropriate patients at ARMC. Through our affiliation with New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, our patients benefit from the most advanced techniques. The Department of Cardiac Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center — where ARMC cardiothoracic surgeons trained — has pioneered minimally invasive valve repair and replacement.

Surgical ablation

– Performed most often to treat atrial fibrillation, surgical ablation can be a minimally invasive or open heart procedure. During the surgery, normal electrical pathways are re-established to correct the rhythm disturbance. At ARMC, skilled surgeons combine surgical ablation with another surgical procedure, for example, with heart bypass surgery or valve repair to correct both conditions simultaneously.