Cardiothoracic surgery treats conditions of the heart, lungs and chest. Based on the severity of symptoms, your physician may recommend that you see a cardiothoracic specialist. Adults experiencing cardiovascular disease, heart valve problems or lung cancer may benefit from cardiothoracic surgery.

Services Include:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). During this procedure, a blood vessel is taken from another part of the body and used to bypass a blocked artery. This creates a new pathway for blood and oxygen to reach the heart.
• Lung surgery. Used to repair or remove damaged lung tissue.
  • Common procedures include:
    • A piece of abnormal lung tissue is removed to examine for possible cancer growth.
    • Removal of a lobe of the lung that is damaged due to lung cancer, infection or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
    • Removal of the entire lung. Depending on the extent of the disease, a surgeon may recommend complete removal as the best option.
• Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. A traditional CABG uses a heart-lung machine that acts as an artificial circulation system. During an off-pump procedure, surgeons perform a bypass without a machine and while the heart is still pumping.
• Valve repair or replacement. Open-heart surgery or other minimally invasive methods are used to repair damaged heart valves.
  • Common procedures include:
    • Balloon valvuloplasty. A catheter with a balloon attached is inserted into a tight valve. The balloon expands to open the valve and allow for better blood flow.
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This new offering is a minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery for treating aortic stenosis (the narrowing of the aortic valves).