Beating Heart Surgery
Traditional bypass surgery utilizes a heart-lung machine that is connected to the patient’s circulatory system and acts in place of their heart and lungs during surgery. Beating-heart surgery includes two revolutionary procedures that allow coronary bypass surgery to be performed on a beating heart. These innovative surgical procedures reduce post-operative complications and speeds recovery time for some patients.
OPCAB
During off pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB), surgeons slow the heart with medication, and a state-of-the-art-stabilizing device is used to steady the beating heart while a new blood vessel, or graft, is attached to the blocked coronary artery, allowing blood to flow freely again. On average, the procedure takes approximately two hours, half the time of traditional bypass surgery, and enables patients to recover faster with better outcomes.
MIDCAB
Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB), like OPCAB, works directly on the beating heart. During MIDCAB, the surgeon conducts a bypass procedure on the front of the heart through a very small opening in the chest. The surgeon uses miniature tools and viewing instruments to perform the operation. With MIDCAB, patient recovery time and hospital stay are shortened; however, since the bypass can only be performed on blockages on the front of the heart, many patients are not eligible. While this surgery is still limited to only select candidates, doctors are working to find new techniques that make it available to more patients in the future.
Norton Heart Care is a leading provider of heart care for people throughout Louisville and Southern Indiana. Focused on outcomes and quality, our highly skilled cardiologists and surgeons work side by side with experienced nurses to care for both adults and children. Heart disease comes in many forms, and Norton Heart Care offers a wide range of innovative treatment techniques in multiple locations - providing advanced, high-quality care close to home. For more information about Norton Heart Care, call (502) 629-1234.
This test or treatment is offered at these facilities:
