Heart Surgery

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Heart surgery can correct problems with the heart if other treatments haven't worked or can't be used. The most common type of heart surgery for adults is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). During CABG, a healthy artery or vein from the body is connected, or grafted, to a blocked coronary (heart) artery.

Doctors also use heart surgery to

• Repair or replace heart valves, which control blood flow through the heart
• Repair abnormal or damaged structures in the heart
• Implant medical devices that help control the heartbeat or support heart function and blood flow
• Replace a damaged heart with a healthy heart from a donor
• Treat heart failure and coronary heart disease
• Control abnormal heart rhythms

Heart surgery has risks, even though its results often are excellent. Risks include bleeding, infection, irregular heartbeats, and stroke. The risk is higher if you are older or a woman. The risk is also higher if you have other diseases or conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease, or peripheral arterial disease.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• Cardiac Procedures and Surgeries (American Heart Association)
• What Is Heart Surgery? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Living With

• Cardiac Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• What to Expect After Heart Surgery (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) - PDF

Related Issues

• Dressler's Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• How Can I Prepare for Heart Surgery? (American Heart Association) - PDF
• What Is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon? (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) Also in Spanish
• What Is a Ventricular Assist Device? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Specifics

• Limited-Access Heart Surgery (Texas Heart Institute)
• Maze Surgery (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish
• Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish
• Valve Repair or Replacement (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish
• What Is a Total Artificial Heart? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Why Do I Need Heart Valve Surgery? (American Heart Association) - PDF Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Cardiac Surgical Procedures (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Heart Surgery (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: COVID-19 in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease.
• Article: Forensic Analysis of 43 Medical Disputes Caused by Death after Cardiac...
• Article: Cardiac surgery outcome during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective review of...
• Heart Surgery -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Heart Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Children

• What Is a Pediatric Heart Surgeon? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Aortic valve surgery - open (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Heart valve surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mitral valve surgery - minimally invasive (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mitral valve surgery - open (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Open heart surgery (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish