What is Open Heart Surgery?
Open heart surgery is a procedure that requires the opening of the heart cavity. Procedures involving all components of the heart, from the arteries, valves to heart muscle are performed in patients with acute coronary heart disease. This procedure is referred to as "conservative heart surgery" to differentiate with new techniques, which require only a small incision so the heart is not really exposed. This new technique was developed to minimize the risk that may occur due to open heart surgery.
Who Needs to Live & Expected Results
Open heart surgery is performed as:
Open heart surgery is performed as:
- Treatment of coronary heart disease - Coronary heart disease is the main reason for undergoing open heart surgery. This condition occurs when the blood vessels in the heart become hard and narrow due to the buildup of plaque on the walls of blood vessels. The appearance of plaque is caused by the fatty foods that the patient consumes. This disease can block blood flow to the heart and increase the risk of heart attack. The surgery done to treat coronary heart disease is also referred to as bypass surgery (CABG).
- Heart valve repair - Heart valves may be damaged, but this can be overcome by certain surgical techniques.
- Heart valve replacement - If the heart valves can not be repaired, they will be replaced. This can be done with open heart surgery.
- Pacemaker installation - Pacemakers are a tool for the treatment of arrhythmias or conditions that affect the electrical rhythm of the heartbeat regulator.
- Heart transplant - Replacing the heart that can not function normally with a healthy donor heart.
- Surgical repair of congenital heart defects - Procedures performed on a person or infant born with congenital heart disease.
- Heart aortic surgery - Surgical procedure of aortic swelling of the heart.
Usually, open heart surgery is the last resort to treat heart disease. This procedure is expected to be a solution and prolong the life of someone who has long suffered from chronic heart disease. Because this procedure includes major surgery, the patient takes a long time to fully recover. The patient's condition will begin to show improvement within 6 weeks after the procedure. Meanwhile, the expected results will be felt after 6 months.
Unfortunately, this procedure does not rule out the return of the disease. For example, if open heart surgery is able to overcome the blockage of the coronary arteries, then the arteries still have a chance to re-clog up. To avoid this, patients are asked to maintain their diet and improve their lifestyle.
How Open Heart Surgery Works
Open heart surgery begins with an incision in the chest cavity of 2-5 inches. To enter the heart, the heart muscle will be cleaved.
The patient should be connected to the pulmonary heart shortcut before the surgery procedure runs for blood to be pumped into the patient's entire organs when the surgeon performs the surgical procedure.
After that, the surgeon will begin repair, replacement, or transplant according to the patient's needs. After the operation is complete, the patient will be taken to the intensive care room for hospitalization. The patient's chest will be attached to the tubes that are useful for absorbing excess fluid around the heart. The patient is fitted with a drip as needed fluid intake, as well as a catheter connected to the sewer to clean up the rest of the impurities in the body. The heart will continue to be monitored by the machine. The first night after surgery, the patient will be transferred to a regular room but not allowed to leave the hospital for 7 days.
Currently, open heart surgery is rarely performed due to modern surgical procedures, such as endoscopic cardiac surgery in which the doctor will make four small incisions in the chest cavity and perform the surgery with the help of the camera. There is also a heart valve surgery with the help of computer-controlled robotic hands; This method is well known for its level of precision and so far proven to provide better results. These modern procedures are known to leave only a slight scar and do not require that the patient be connected to a pulmonary heart shortcut.
Possible Complications and Risks Open Heart Surgery
Open heart surgery is a major surgical procedure with several risks, including:
- Bleeding, injury to the chest is infected causing fever and inflammation.
- Heart attacks, often caused by blood clots that loose after the procedure is complete
- Sudden brain function disturbance (stroke)
- Damage to organs can affect the heart, kidneys, lungs, or liver
- Acute blood loss
- Hard to breathe
- Missing memories that often recover without treatment within 6 months to 1 year
- Confusion
- Chest pain
- Low fever
- Allergic reactions to the type of drug used during surgery
Several years after the first surgery, the patient has a tendency to undergo additional surgery or surgery.
Although the risk of death is very small, the doctor will consider the patient's health condition before recommending open heart surgery procedures.
The risk of complications becomes higher if surgery is done in an emergency, such as when the patient is suffering from a serious illness or against a heart attack.
Sumber : www.docdoc.com/