Where are heart surgeries performed? How is heart surgery performed? Relations with relatives

Let's try to lift the veil of the mystery of their work and find out what types of heart surgeries exist and are carried out today. Is it also possible to perform heart surgery without opening the chest?

When the heart is in the palm of your hand or open surgeries

Open heart surgery is so called because the cardiac surgeon "opens" the patient's chest, cuts through the sternum and all soft tissues, and makes an opening of the chest. Such interventions, as a rule, are performed with the connection of a heart-lung machine (hereinafter referred to as AIC), which is a temporary replacement for the heart and lungs of the operated person. This apparatus is a complex device of rather impressive dimensions, which continues to pump blood through the body when the patient's heart is artificially stopped.

Thanks to AIC, open-heart surgery can be extended for many hours if necessary. Open surgeries are used for valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting can also be performed in this way, many heart defects are eliminated by open interventions. It should be noted that AIC is not always used during their implementation.

The body can not always tolerate the intervention of a foreign heart substitute: the use of AIC is fraught with complications such as renal failure, impaired cerebral blood flow, inflammatory processes, and impaired blood rheology. Therefore, some operations on the open heart are carried out in the conditions of his work, without the connection of the AIC.

Such interventions on a beating heart include coronary artery bypass grafting, during this operation on a beating heart, the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart that the surgeon needs is temporarily switched off from work, and the rest of the heart continues to work. Such manipulations require high qualifications and skills of the surgeon, and also have a much lower risk of complications, they are perfect for people over 75 years old, patients with a large arsenal of chronic diseases, patients with diabetes mellitus than operations on an organ that is turned off from the blood circulation.

But all the pros and cons, of course, are determined by the cardiac surgeon. Only the doctor decides to keep the heart working, or stop it for a while. Open surgeries are the most traumatic, having a higher percentage of complications; after surgery, a scar remains on the patient's chest. But sometimes only such an operation can save a person's life, improve his health, return him to a full, happy life.

Intact heart or closed surgeries

If the sternum, heart chambers and the heart muscle itself were not opened during surgery, then these are closed heart surgeries. During such operations, the surgical scalpel does not affect the heart, and the surgeon's work consists in the surgical treatment of large vessels, cardiac arteries and aorta, the chest is also not opened, only a small incision is made on the chest.

Thus, a pacemaker can be installed, heart valve correction, balloon angioplasty, shunting, vascular stenting can be performed. Closed operations are less traumatic, have a lower percentage of complications, unlike open ones. Closed vascular surgery can often be the first step before subsequent heart surgery.

Indications for their conduct is always determined by the doctor.

Achievements of modern cardiac surgery or minimally invasive operations

Cardiac surgery is steadily moving forward, and an indicator of this is the increasing percentage of low-traumatic, high-tech manipulations that allow you to get rid of the pathology of the heart and blood vessels with minimal intervention and impact on the human body. What are minimally invasive interventions? These are surgical operations performed by introducing instruments or special devices, through mini-accesses - 3-4 cm incisions, or without incisions at all: during endoscopic operations, incisions are replaced by punctures.

When performing minimally invasive manipulations, the path to the heart and blood vessels can lie through the femoral vessels, for example - these operations are called endovascular, they are performed under x-ray control. Elimination of congenital malformations, prosthetic heart valves, all operations on vessels (from removal of a blood clot to expansion of the lumen) - all these interventions can be performed using minimally invasive technologies. Emphasis is placed on them in modern cardiac surgery, since a low risk of complications, minimal impact on the body are those huge advantages that patients can appreciate literally on the operating table.

Anesthesia during endoscopic procedures is not required, it is enough just to anesthetize the puncture site. Recovery after heart surgery performed using a minimally invasive technique is ten times faster. Such methods are also indispensable in diagnostics - coronary angiography, a method for examining the vessels of the heart by introducing contrast and subsequent x-ray control. In parallel with the diagnosis according to the indications, the cardiac surgeon can also perform therapeutic manipulations on the vessels - the installation of a stent, balloon dilation in a narrowed vessel.

And diagnosis and treatment by puncture on the femoral artery? Isn't this a miracle? Such miracles for cardiac surgeons are becoming routine. The contribution of endovascular methods of treatment is also invaluable in cases where the threat to the life of the patient is especially acute and minutes count. These are situations of acute coronary syndrome, thromboembolism, aneurysm. In many cases, the availability of the necessary equipment and qualified personnel can save the lives of patients.

When is the operation indicated?

It is up to an experienced cardiac surgeon or a council of doctors to decide whether an operation is indicated, as well as to determine the type of surgical intervention on the heart and blood vessels. The doctor can make a conclusion after a thorough examination, familiarization with the history of the development of the disease, monitoring the patient. The doctor should know the ins and outs of the disease very well: how long the patient has been suffering from cardiac pathology, what medications he takes, what chronic diseases he has, when he felt worse ... After evaluating all the pros and cons, the doctor makes his verdict: whether to have surgery or not. If the situation develops according to the above scheme, then we are dealing with a planned cardiac surgery.

It is shown to the following people:

lack of effect from adequate drug therapy;
rapidly progressive deterioration of well-being against the background of ongoing treatment with pills and injections;
severe arrhythmias, angina pectoris, cardiomyopathy, congenital and acquired heart defects requiring correction.

But there are situations when there is no time for reflection, questioning and analysis of the medical history. We are talking about life-threatening conditions - a blood clot broke off, an aneurysm exfoliated, a heart attack occurred. When the time goes by for minutes, emergency cardiac surgery is performed. Stenting, coronary artery bypass grafting, thrombectomy of the coronary arteries, radiofrequency ablation can be performed urgently.

Consider the most common types of heart surgery

CABG - coronary artery bypass grafting "on hearing" in many, probably because it is performed for coronary heart disease, which is extremely common among the population. CABG can be performed both open and closed, and combined techniques with endoscopic inclusions are also performed. The essence of the operation is to create bypass routes of blood flow through the vessels of the heart, restoring normal blood supply to the myocardium, which leads to a better supply of oxygen to the heart muscle.
RFA - radiofrequency ablation. This type of surgical intervention is used to eliminate persistent arrhythmias, when drug therapy is powerless in the fight against arrhythmias. This is a minimally invasive intervention, which is performed under local anesthesia, a special conductor is inserted through the femoral or subclavian vein, which supplies an electrode to the focus of pathological impulses in the heart, the current flowing through the electrode to the pathological focus destroys it. And the absence of a focus of pathological impulses means the absence of arrhythmia. 12 hours after the manipulation, the patient is already allowed to get up.
Prosthetic or plastic heart valves. Prosthetics means complete valve replacement, the prosthesis can be mechanical or biological. And plastic implies the elimination of defects in the "native" valve or valve apparatus. There are certain indications for these interventions, which are clearly known to cardiac surgeons.
Installing a pacemaker. Cardiac arrhythmias, severe bradycardia may be indications for installation, which, thanks to modern technology, can also be performed endoscopically.

But now, the diagnosis has been made and the doctors understand what needs to be done next. I would like you to understand well by this moment, what will be discussed when they will explain everything in detail to you, what was found during the examination, what diagnosis was made, what needs to be done and when to choose the best way of treatment.

Here and now the main questions are being decided, and you must exactly imagine what you want to know before you make a decision on which a lot depends.

There are several options for conversation.

You will be offered operation, as the only way out, and doctors believe that it needs to be done urgently.
You are offered an operation, but they say that it can be postponed for a while.
You are denied an operation for a variety of reasons.

You need to understand what is being said and prepare for the conversation. Try to be calm and confident in yourself and in the doctors who want to help you. You must be together, on the same side, in the fight for the future of the child. Discuss everything, but your questions should be literate. Believe me, a lot depends on this too.

What do you need to know about in order to ask the right question? What are the operations? What should the child do? How will it all be? Who will do it? Let's talk about it calmly.

Today, all interventions, or operations, for congenital heart defects can be divided into three categories: "closed" operations, "open" and "X-ray surgery".

✔ Closed Operations These are surgical interventions in which the heart itself is not affected. They are performed outside of it, and therefore do not require the use of any special equipment other than conventional surgical instruments. The cavities of the heart are not “opened” with them, which is why they are called “closed”, and they are widely performed as the first stage of surgical intervention.

✔ Open Operations- These are surgical interventions in which it is necessary to open the cavities of the heart in order to eliminate the existing defect. For this, a special apparatus is used - a heart-lung machine (AIC), or "heart-lungs". For the period of the operation, both the heart and the lungs are switched off from the circulation, and the surgeon gets the opportunity to perform any operation on the so-called "dry", stopped heart.

All the patient's venous blood is sent to the apparatus, where, passing through an oxygenator (artificial lung), it is saturated with oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide, turning into arterial. Then the arterial blood is pumped into the patient's aorta by a pump, i.e. into the systemic circulation. Modern technologies allow all the internal parts of the device (including the oxygenator), with which the patient's blood comes into contact, to be made "disposable", i.e. use them only once and only for one patient. This dramatically reduces the number of possible complications.

Today, thanks to AIC, it is possible without much risk to turn off the heart and lungs from work for several hours (and the surgeon has the opportunity to operate on the most complex defects).

✔ X-ray surgery appeared relatively recently, but, thanks to the incredible progress of modern technologies, they have already taken their rightful place in the arsenal of cardiac surgery. More and more doctors are now using thin catheters, the ends of which are fitted with balloons, patches, or expandable tubes (folded like a folding umbrella). With the help of a catheter, these devices are carried into the cavity of the heart, or into the lumen of the vessel, and then, expanding the balloon, break the narrowed valve with pressure, increase or create a defect in the septum, or, conversely, by opening the patch umbrella, this defect is closed. The tubes are inserted into the lumen of the desired vessel and create a wider lumen. In adults, they even try to pass an artificial aortic valve through the catheter in this way, but so far these are only attempts. Doctors monitor the course of an X-ray surgical operation on the monitor screen and clearly control all manipulations with the probe, and therefore the advantage of such operations is not only less trauma, but also high safety and efficiency. X-ray surgery has not yet supplanted traditional surgical methods, but it is gaining more and more space both as an independent method and as an “auxiliary”, i.e. which can be applied not instead of, but together with the usual operation, sometimes simplifying and supplementing it in many ways.

Depending on the type of defect and the condition of the child, surgical operations can be emergency, urgent and elective, i.e. planned.

emergency heart surgery are the ones that should be done immediately after the diagnosis is made, because any delay threatens the life of the child. With congenital malformations, such situations are not uncommon, especially when it comes to newborns. Here the question of life is often decided by hours and minutes.

Emergency operations- those for whom there is no such insane urgency. The operation does not need to be done right now, but you can calmly wait a few days, prepare both you and the child, but it must be done urgently, because then it may be too late.

Planned, or elective, operation- this is an intervention made at the time chosen by you and the surgeons, when the child's condition does not inspire fear, but the operation, nevertheless, should not be postponed.

No cardiac surgeon will ever suggest surgery if it can be avoided. So, anyway, it should be.

Depending on the approach to surgical treatment, radical and palliative operations are distinguished.

✔ Radical heart surgery is a correction that completely eliminates the defect. It can be done with an open ductus arteriosus, septal defects, complete transposition of the main vessels, abnormal pulmonary vein drainage, atrioventricular communication, Fallot's tetrad and some other defects, in which the heart is fully formed, and the surgeon has the opportunity to completely separate the circulatory circles, while maintaining normal anatomical relationships. Those. the atria will connect to their ventricles through correctly positioned valves, and the corresponding great vessels will depart from the ventricles.

✔ Palliative heart surgery- auxiliary, “facilitating”, aimed at normalizing or improving blood circulation and preparing the vascular bed for radical correction. Palliative operations do not eliminate the disease itself, but significantly improve the child's condition. With some very complex defects, which until recently were generally inoperable, the child will have one, and sometimes two palliative operations, before the final radical stage becomes possible.

During a palliative operation, another "defect" is surgically created, which the child does not initially have, but due to which the circulatory pathways disturbed by the defect in the large and small circles are changed. These include surgical expansion of the atrial septal defect, all variants of intervascular anastomoses - i.e. additional shunts, messages between circles. The Fontan operation is the most “radical” of all such methods, after which a person lives without a right ventricle at all. With some of the most complex heart defects, it is impossible to correct the anatomically, and surgical treatment aimed at correcting blood flow can be called the “final” palliative correction, but by no means a radical operation.

In other words, with heart defects, when the intracardiac anatomy - the structure of the ventricles, the condition of the atrioventricular valves, the location of the aorta and the pulmonary trunk - are so changed that they do not allow for a real radical correction, today's surgery follows the path of eliminating poorly compatible with life of circulatory disorders, and then - long-term palliation. The first stage of this path is saving lives and preparing for further treatment, and protection from future complications, the second is the final stage of treatment. All together - this is a long way to the final operation, and on it one, two, and sometimes three steps must be overcome, but, ultimately, to make the child healthy enough for him to develop, learn, lead a normal life, which this long-term palliation will provide him. Check it out, not so long ago - 20-25 years ago it was simply impossible, and children born with the defects of this group were doomed to death.

Such a “final palliation” is the only way out in many cases; although it does not correct the defect itself, it provides the child with an almost normal life by improving the mixing of arterial and venous blood flows, the complete separation of circles, and the elimination of obstructions to blood flow.

Obviously, the very concept of radical and palliative treatment for some complex congenital heart defects is largely arbitrary, and the boundaries are erased.

Surgical interventions on the heart are necessary in the treatment of many pathologies of the cardiovascular system that are not amenable to standard drug therapy. With the implementation of surgical treatment, it becomes possible to improve the general condition of the patient and prolong his life. But depending on the pathology, there are different heart operations, which differ in their technique.

Show all

Operations classification

Cardiac surgery is aimed at the treatment of cardiac pathologies through indirect or direct effects on this organ. There are such types of heart operations:

Closed, while the heart itself is not affected. Such operations are performed outside the heart, so they do not need to use special equipment, with the exception of classical surgical instruments. The cavities of the heart remain closed, hence the name of this category.
Open, they require opening the cavities of the heart, which requires the use of special equipment, such as a heart-lung machine. At the time when such a surgical intervention is performed, the heart and lungs are not functioning, which allows the specialist to work with a stopped heart.
X-ray surgery, in which special catheters and devices attached to them are used, they are inserted into the cavity of the heart or the lumen of the vessel to correct the defect. The progress of such an operation is controlled using the monitor screen.

In addition, the types of surgical interventions in cardiac surgery are classified according to the patient's condition and type of defect, as well as the approach to treatment.

According to the patient's condition and the type of defect, there are:

Emergency operations - when you need to act immediately after the diagnosis has become clear, otherwise the pathology threatens the patient's life.
Urgent - they do not require a lightning-fast reaction and a quick start of action. They are prepared for several days, but not longer, due to the high risks of complications or death.
Planned - interventions, the implementation of which is desirable, but not essential in the near future. They are prescribed by surgeons after consultation with patients.

Depending on what approach requires surgical treatment:

Radical - they are aimed at the complete elimination of vices.
Palliative - they are additional or auxiliary, their goal is to improve the patient's condition or prepare him for a radical intervention.

RF ablation

Such surgical intervention as radiofrequency ablation refers to X-ray surgical procedures. It is carried out to improve the condition of the patient suffering from heart failure and arrhythmia, and is characterized by low rates of side effects and complications.

Manipulations during the operation are carried out with special catheters, which are introduced to the patient under local anesthesia. The place of introduction of the catheter, remote from the heart itself, therefore, local anesthesia is carried out at the site of the future introduction of the catheter. In most cases, it is injected into the inguinal vein or femoral artery. After entering the organ, the catheters give electrical impulses to restore the heart rhythm.

Due to such a supply of impulses that eliminate a small area of cardiac tissue that causes pathological excitation of the myocardium, the technique received a second name - cauterization of the heart.

Valve prosthetics

Prosthetic heart valves are used when a valve is insufficiency or stenosis, which interferes with the normal passage of blood through it. Valve replacement can be performed during open surgery, endovascular or mini-access.

In the first case, the patient under general anesthesia is treated with the anterior surface of the chest, the sternum is dissected longitudinally, and the pericardial cavity is opened. To disconnect the heart from blood circulation, the patient is connected to a heart-lung machine, and the myocardium is systematically treated with cold saline during the entire operation in order to avoid its hypoxia.

To install the prosthesis, a longitudinal incision is made, opening the cavity of the heart, the modified structures of the valve are removed, it is replaced with an artificial one, and the myocardium is sutured. After that, the surgeon "starts" the heart with an electrical impulse or by performing a direct heart massage, and turns off the heart-lung machine.

After examining the postoperative view of the heart, pericardium and pleura, blood is removed from the cavities and the surgical wound is sutured in layers.

With endovascular surgery, there is no need to "disconnect" the heart from blood circulation. It is carried out through the leg, namely by introducing a catheter with implantable valves into the femoral artery or vein. After fragments of the damaged valve are destroyed and removed, a prosthesis is put in its place, which straightens itself, having a flexible stent frame.

If the option with a mini-access was chosen, then the surgeon makes an incision 2-5.5 cm long on the anterior wall of the sternum in the area of the projection of the apex of the heart. Then, through the apex of the heart, a catheter is inserted into the organ, advancing it to the affected valve, and replacing it.

In the case of valve replacement, there are several types of implants:

Mechanical - they are made of metal or plastic. When choosing such an implant, the patient in the future will need to constantly take blood thinners.
Biological - they consist of animal tissues and do not require further use of drugs, but after a few decades they need to be replaced.

Installing a pacemaker

In the event that the patient suffers from heart failure, cardiomyopathy and cardiac arrhythmias, the specialist may prescribe a minor operation to install a pacemaker.

The technique for performing such an operation is simple. On the right or left under the left clavicle, local anesthesia is performed with novocaine or lidocaine, after which an incision is made in the skin and subclavian vein to insert a conductor into it, and through it into the superior vena cava and into the heart - an electrode. When the tip of the electrode enters the cavity of the right atrium, the doctor chooses a convenient place for optimal stimulation of the heart muscle, during the search he constantly records ECG changes. When a place is found, the electrode is fixed in the myocardial wall from the inside with the help of antennae or a corkscrew-like attachment. After fixation, it is required to hem a titanium case under the patient's arm, which is installed in the thickness of the pectoral muscle on the left. The wound is sutured and an aseptic bandage is applied.

Coronary artery bypass grafting

Coronary artery bypass grafting is a common heart surgery. It is prescribed when atherosclerotic plaques accumulate on the inner walls of the coronary vessels that feed the heart, disrupting blood flow. In addition, indications can be:

Stable angina 3-4 functional class.
Acute coronary syndrome.
Acute myocardial infarction within the first 4–6 hours of onset of pain.
Severe ischemia without pain.

Before the operation, the patient is intravenously administered sedatives and tranquilizers, and the intervention itself is carried out under general anesthesia. Operative access is done by dissection of the sternum or from a mini-access, making an incision in the intercostal space on the left in the area of the projection of the heart. Manipulation can be carried out both with the connection of the patient to the heart-lung machine, and without it.

The aorta is clamped and connected to the machine, then a vessel is isolated, which will become a bypass. This vessel is brought to the affected coronary artery and its other end is sutured to the aorta. As a result, from the aorta, bypassing the area affected by plaques, the blood will go to the coronary arteries without difficulty.

Depending on how many arteries supplying the heart are affected and at what intervals, the number of shunts can vary from 2 to 5.

When the shunts are fixed, metal staples are applied to the edges of the sternum, soft tissues are sutured and an aseptic dressing is applied. In addition, drainage is removed from the pericardial cavity so that there is an outflow of hemorrhagic fluid.

Operations Glenn and Ross

The Glenn operation is otherwise known as a bidirectional cavopulmonary connection. In this case, anastomosis of the upper part of the superior vena cava with the right pulmonary artery is performed according to the "end to side" principle.

Ross surgery is the replacement of a patient's damaged aortic valve with his pulmonary valve, and the removed pulmonary valve is replaced with a prosthesis.

Heart surgery helps to cure many diseases of the cardiovascular system that are not amenable to standard therapeutic methods. Surgical treatment can be carried out in different ways, depending on the individual pathology and the general condition of the patient.

Indications for surgical treatment

Cardiac surgery is a field of medicine in which physicians specialize in studying, inventing methods and performing operations on the heart. The most complex and dangerous cardiac surgery is heart transplantation. Regardless of what type of surgery will be performed, there are general indications:

the rapid progress of the disease of the cardiovascular system; ineffectiveness of conservative therapy; untimely visit to the doctor.

Heart surgery makes it possible to improve the general condition of the patient and eliminate the symptoms that disturb him. Surgical treatment is carried out after a complete medical examination and the establishment of an accurate diagnosis.

Heart disease

Do operations for congenital heart defects or acquired. A congenital defect is detected in a newborn immediately after birth or before birth on an ultrasound examination. Thanks to modern technologies and techniques, in many cases it is possible to detect and cure heart disease in newborns in time.

An indication for surgical intervention can also be coronary disease, which is sometimes accompanied by such a serious complication as myocardial infarction. Another reason for surgery may be a violation of the heart rhythm, since this disease tends to cause ventricular fibrillation (scattered contraction of fibers). The doctor should tell the patient how to properly prepare for heart surgery in order to avoid negative consequences and complications (such as a blood clot).

Advice: proper preparation for heart surgery is the key to a successful recovery of the patient and prevention of postoperative complications, such as a blood clot or occlusion of the vessel.

Operation types

Cardiac surgeries can be performed on an open heart as well as on a beating heart. Closed heart surgery is usually performed without affecting the organ itself and its cavity. Open heart surgery involves opening the chest and connecting the patient to a ventilator.

Endovascular intervention

During open heart surgery, a temporary cardiac arrest is performed for several hours, which allows you to perform the necessary manipulations. This technique makes it possible to cure complex heart disease, but is considered more traumatic.

Surgery on a beating heart uses special equipment so that the heart continues to contract and pump blood during surgery. The advantages of this surgery include the absence of such complications as embolism, stroke, pulmonary edema, etc.

There are the following types of heart operations, which are considered the most common in cardiology practice:

radiofrequency ablation; coronary artery bypass grafting; stenting of coronary arteries; valve prosthetics; Operation Glenn and Operation Ross.

If surgery is performed with access through a vessel or vein, endovascular surgery (stenting, angioplasty) is used. Endovascular surgery is a branch of medicine that allows for surgical intervention under X-ray control and using miniature instruments.

Endovascular surgery makes it possible to cure the defect and avoid the complications that abdominal surgery gives, helps in the treatment of arrhythmias and rarely gives such a complication as a thrombus.

Advice: Surgical treatment of heart pathologies has its advantages and disadvantages, therefore, the most suitable type of operation is selected for each patient, which carries fewer complications for him.

RF ablation

Radiofrequency or catheter ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive surgical intervention that has a high therapeutic effect and minimal side effects. Such treatment is shown for atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, heart failure and other cardiac pathologies.

By itself, arrhythmia is not a serious pathology requiring surgical intervention, but can lead to serious complications. Thanks to RFA, it is possible to restore a normal heart rhythm and eliminate the main cause of its violations.

RFA is performed using catheter technology and under x-ray control. Heart surgery takes place under local anesthesia and consists in bringing a catheter to the necessary part of the organ, which sets the wrong rhythm. Through an electrical impulse under the action of RFA, the normal rhythm of the heart is restored.

Coronary artery bypass grafting

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) helps to restore blood supply to the heart muscle. Unlike the RFA technique, such treatment gives a high result due to the formation of a new passage for the blood flow. This is necessary in order to bypass the affected vessels with special shunts. To do this, take a vein or artery of the patient from the lower limb or arm.

Such heart surgery helps prevent the development of myocardial infarction and atherosclerotic plaques. Its essence lies in the fact that sclerosed vessels are replaced by healthy ones. Often, after shunting, an angioplasty technique is used, when a tube is inserted through the vessels (femoral artery) with a balloon into the damaged vessel. Pressurized air exerts pressure on the actorosclerotic plaques (thrombus) in the aorta or artery and assists in their removal or advancement.

Stenting of the coronary arteries

Stenting

Together with angioplasty, stenting can be performed, during which a special stent is installed. It pushes the narrowed lumen in the aorta or other vessel and helps prevent blood clots and remove atherosclerotic plaque, as well as normalize blood flow. All these manipulations can be carried out simultaneously, so that repeated surgical intervention is not prescribed.

The most common heart disease is valve narrowing or insufficiency. Treatment of such a pathology should always be radical and consist in the correction of valvular lesions. Its essence lies in the prosthetics of the mitral valve. An indication for heart valve replacement surgery may be severe valvular insufficiency or leaflet fibrosis.

With a serious violation of the heart rhythm and the presence of atrial fibrillation, there is a serious need to install a special device called a pacemaker. A pacemaker is needed to normalize the rhythm and heart rate, which can be disturbed during arrhythmias. To normalize the heart rhythm, a defibrillator can be installed, which has the same type of action as a pacemaker.

Heart valve replacement

A patient who has a pacemaker has to undergo frequent medical examinations.

During surgery, a mechanical or biological implant is placed. Patients who have a pacemaker have to adhere to certain restrictions in life. A blood clot or other complication may appear some time after the installation, so lifelong use of special medications is often prescribed.

Operation Glenn and Operation Ross

Glenn's operation is included in the stage of complex correction of children who have congenital heart disease. Its essence is to create an anastomosis connecting the superior vena cava and the right pulmonary artery. Through the time after the treatment was carried out, the patient can live a full life.

The Ross operation involves replacing the patient's damaged aortic valve with his own pulmonic valve.

Laser cautery can also be used to treat arrhythmias. Cauterization can be performed using ultrasound or high frequency current. Cauterization helps to completely eliminate the signs of arrhythmia, tachycardia and heart failure.

Thanks to modern technology and the development of medicine, it has become possible to effectively treat arrhythmia, eliminate heart disease in newborns, or cure other pathologies with heart surgery. In the time after such an operation, many people can live their usual lives, which have only some restrictions.

Attention! The information on the site is presented by specialists, but is for informational purposes only and cannot be used for self-treatment. Be sure to consult a doctor!

DlyaSerdca → Symptoms and treatment → Surgery and invasive heart examinations

Heart surgeries are very common these days. Modern cardiac surgery and vascular surgery are very advanced. Surgical intervention is prescribed in the case when conservative drug treatment does not help, and, accordingly, the normalization of the patient's condition is impossible without surgery.

For example, heart disease can only be cured by surgery, this is necessary in the case when blood circulation is severely disturbed due to pathology.

And as a result, a person feels bad and severe complications begin to develop. These complications can lead not only to disability, but also to death.

Often prescribed surgical treatment of coronary heart disease. Since it can lead to myocardial infarction. Due to a heart attack, the walls of the cavities of the heart or aorta become thinner and protrusion appears. This pathology can also be cured only by surgery. Quite often, operations are performed due to disturbed heart rhythm (RFA).

They also perform heart transplantation, that is, a transplant. This is necessary when there is a complex of pathologies due to which the myocardium is not able to function. Today, such an operation prolongs the life of the patient by an average of 5 years. After such an operation, the patient is put on disability.

Operations can be carried out urgently, urgently, or a planned intervention is prescribed. It depends on the severity of the patient's condition. An emergency operation is performed immediately, immediately after the diagnosis is established. If such an intervention is not carried out, then the death of the patient may occur.

Such operations are often performed on newborns immediately after birth with congenital heart disease. In this case, even minutes are important.

Urgent operations do not require fast execution. In this case, the patient is prepared for some time. As a rule, it is several days.

A planned operation is prescribed if at this time there is no danger to life, but it must be carried out to prevent complications. Doctors prescribe surgery on the myocardium only if it is necessary.

Invasive Research

Invasive methods for examining the heart are to conduct catheterization. That is, the study is carried out through a catheter, which can be installed both in the cavity of the heart and in the vessel. With the help of these studies, you can determine some indicators of the work of the heart.

For example, blood pressure in any part of the myocardium, as well as determine how much oxygen is in the blood, evaluate cardiac output, vascular resistance.

Invasive methods allow you to study the pathology of the valves, their size and degree of damage. This study takes place without opening the chest. Cardiac catheterization allows you to take an intracardiac electrocardiogram and phonocardiogram. This method is also used to monitor the effectiveness of drug therapy.

For the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, Elena Malysheva recommends a new method based on Monastic tea.

It contains 8 useful medicinal plants that are extremely effective in the treatment and prevention of arrhythmia, heart failure, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and many other diseases. In this case, only natural ingredients are used, no chemicals and hormones!

Such studies include:

Angiography. This is a method for which a contrast agent is used. It is injected into the cavity of the heart or vessel for accurate visualization and detection of pathologies. coronary angiography. This study allows you to assess the degree of damage to the coronary vessels, it helps doctors understand whether surgery is needed, and if not, what therapy is suitable for this patient. Ventriculography. This is a radiopaque study that will determine the condition of the ventricles, the presence of pathology. All ventricular parameters can be studied, such as cavity volume, cardiac output, cardiac relaxation and excitability measurements.

With selective coronary angiography, contrast is injected into one of the coronary arteries (right or left).

Coronary angiography is often performed in patients with angina pectoris 3-4 functional class. In this case, it is resistant to drug therapy. Doctors need to decide what type of surgical treatment is needed. It is also important to carry out this procedure for unstable angina.

Also, invasive procedures include punctures and probing of the heart cavities. With the help of probing, it is possible to diagnose heart defects and pathologies in the LV, for example, it can be tumors, or thrombosis. To do this, use the femoral vein (right), a needle is inserted into it through which the conductor passes. The needle diameter becomes about 2 mm.

When performing invasive studies, local anesthesia is used. The incision is small, about 1-2 cm. This is necessary to expose the desired vein for the installation of the catheter.

Having studied the methods of Elena Malysheva in the treatment of HEART DISEASE, as well as the restoration and cleaning of VESSELS - we decided to bring it to your attention ...

These studies are carried out in different clinics and their cost is quite high.

Surgery for heart disease

Heart defects include

stenosis of the heart valves; insufficiency of heart valves; septal defects (interventricular, interatrial).

valve stenosis

These pathologies lead to many disorders in the work of the heart, that is, the goals of operations for defects are to relieve the load from the heart muscle, restore the normal functioning of the ventricle, as well as restore contractile function and reduce pressure in the heart cavities.

To eliminate these defects, the following surgical interventions are performed:

Valve replacement (prosthetics)

Feedback from our reader Victoria Mirnova

I recently read an article that talks about Monastic tea for the treatment of heart disease. With the help of this tea, you can FOREVER cure arrhythmia, heart failure, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and many other diseases of the heart and blood vessels at home.

I was not used to trusting any information, but I decided to check and ordered a bag. I noticed the changes within a week: the constant pain and tingling in my heart that had tormented me before receded, and after 2 weeks they disappeared completely. Try it and you, and if anyone is interested, then below is a link to the article.

This type of operation is done on the open heart, that is, after opening the chest. In this case, the patient is connected to a special apparatus for cardiopulmonary bypass. The operation consists in replacing the affected valve with an implant. They can be mechanical (in the form of a disk or ball in a grid, they are made of synthetic materials) and biological (made from animal biological material).

Valve implant placement

Plastic defects of partitions

It can be carried out in 2 options, for example, suturing a defect or its plastic. Suturing is carried out if the size of the hole is less than 3 cm. Plastic surgery is performed using synthetic tissue or autopericardium.

Valvuloplasty

With this type of operation, implants are not used, but simply expand the lumen of the affected valve. At the same time, a balloon is introduced into the lumen of the valve, which is inflated. It should be noted that such an operation is performed only on young people, as for the elderly, they are only entitled to open-heart intervention.

Balloon valvuloplasty

Often, after heart disease surgery, a person is given a disability.

Operations on the aorta

Open surgeries include:

Prosthetics of the ascending aorta. At the same time, a valve-containing conduit is installed; this prosthesis has a mechanical aortic valve. Prosthetics of the ascending aorta, while the aortic valve is not implanted. Prosthetics of the ascending artery and its arch. Surgery to implant a stent graft in the ascending aorta. This is an endovascular intervention.

Prosthetics of the ascending aorta is the replacement of this section of the artery. This is necessary in order to prevent serious consequences, for example, a break. To do this, prosthetics are used by opening the chest, and endovascular or intravascular interventions are also performed. In this case, a special stent is installed in the affected area.

Of course, open-heart surgery is more effective, since in addition to the main pathology - aortic aneurysm, it is possible to correct the accompanying one, for example, stenosis or valve insufficiency, etc. And the endovascular procedure gives a temporary effect.

Aortic dissection

When prosthetics of the aortic arch are used:

Open distal anastomosis. This is when the prosthesis is installed, so that it does not affect its branches; Arc semi-replacement. This operation consists in replacing the artery where the ascending aorta passes into the arch and, if required, replacing the concave surface of the arch; Subtotal prosthetics. This is when the replacement of branches (1 or 2) is required during prosthetics of the arterial arch; Complete prosthetics. In this case, the arch is prosthetized together with all supra-aortic vessels. This is a complex intervention that can cause neurological complications. After such an intervention, a person is given a disability.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (ACS)

CABG is open-heart surgery that uses a patient's vessel as a shunt. This heart operation is needed in order to create a bypass for the blood, which will not affect the occlusive section of the coronary artery.

That is, this shunt is installed on the aorta and brought to the area of the coronary artery not affected by atherosclerosis.

This method is quite effective in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Due to the installed shunt, the blood flow to the heart increases, which means that ischemia and angina pectoris do not appear.

CABG is prescribed if there is angina pectoris, in which even the smallest loads cause seizures. Also, indications for CABG are lesions of all coronary arteries, and if an aneurysm of the heart has formed.

Coronary artery bypass grafting

During CABG, the patient is put into general anesthesia, and then, after opening the chest, all manipulations are performed. This operation can be performed with or without cardiac arrest. And also, depending on the severity of the pathology, the doctor decides whether it is necessary to connect the patient to a heart-lung machine. The duration of CABG can be 3-6 hours, it all depends on the number of shunts, that is, on the number of anastomoses.

As a rule, the role of the shunt is performed by a vein from the lower limb, and sometimes a part of the internal thoracic vein, the radial artery, is also used.

Today, CABG is performed, which is performed with minimal access to the heart, while the heart continues to work. Such an intervention is considered not as traumatic as the others. In this case, the chest is not opened, the incision is made between the ribs and a special expander is also used so as not to affect the bones. This type of CABG lasts 1 to 2 hours.

The operation is performed by 2 surgeons, while one makes an incision and opens the sternum, the other operates on the limb to take a vein.

After carrying out all the necessary manipulations, the doctor installs drains and closes the chest.

CABG significantly reduces the likelihood of a heart attack. Angina pectoris does not appear after surgery, which means that the quality and duration of the patient's life increase.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)

RFA is a procedure that is performed under local anesthesia, since the basis is catheterization. Such a procedure is carried out in order to exfoliate the cells that cause arrhythmia, that is, the focus. This happens through a catheter-conductor, which conducts an electric current. As a result, tissue formations are removed by RFA.

RF catheter ablation

After conducting an electrophysical study, the doctor determines where the source is located, which causes a rapid heartbeat. These sources can be formed along the conducting paths, as a result of which an anomaly of the rhythm manifests itself. It is RFA that neutralizes this anomaly.

RFA is carried out in case of:

when drug therapy does not affect the arrhythmia, and also if such therapy causes side effects. If the patient has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. This pathology is perfectly neutralized by RFA. If a complication may occur, such as cardiac arrest.

It should be noted that RFA is well tolerated by patients, since there are no large incisions and opening of the sternum.

The catheter is inserted through a puncture in the thigh. Only the area through which the catheter is inserted is anesthetized.

The guide catheter reaches the myocardium, and then a contrast agent is injected. With the help of contrast, the affected areas become visible, and the doctor directs the electrode to them. After the electrode acted on the source, the tissues are scarred, which means that they will not be able to conduct the impulse. After RFA, a bandage is not needed.

Carotid surgery

There are such types of operations on the carotid artery:

Prosthetics (used with a large lesion); Stenting is performed if stenosis is diagnosed. In this case, the lumen is increased by installing a stent; Eversion endarterectomy - at the same time, atherosclerotic plaques are removed along with the inner lining of the carotid artery; Carotid endarectomy.

These operations are performed under both general and local anesthesia. More often under general anesthesia, as the procedure is performed in the neck and there are discomfort.

The carotid artery is occluded, and in order to continue the blood supply, shunts are installed, which are bypass routes.

Classical endarterectomy is done if long plaque lesions are diagnosed. During this operation, the plaque is peeled off and removed. Next, the vessel is washed. Sometimes it is still necessary to fix the inner shell, this is done with special seams. At the end, the artery is sutured with a special synthetic medical material.

Endarterectomy of the carotid arteries

Eversion endartectomy is performed in such a way that the inner layer of the carotid artery at the site of the plaque is removed. And after that they fix, that is, sew. For this operation, the plaque should be no more than 2.5 cm.

Stenting is performed using a balloon catheter. This is a minimally invasive procedure. When the catheter is located at the site of stenosis, it inflates and thereby expands the lumen.

Rehabilitation

The period after heart surgery is no less important than the operation itself. At this time, the patient's condition is monitored by doctors, and in some cases, cardio training, therapeutic diets, etc. are prescribed.

Other recovery measures are also needed, such as wearing a bandage. The bandage at the same time fixes the seam after the operation, and of course the entire chest, which is very important. Such a bandage should be worn only if the operation is performed on the open heart. The cost of these items may vary.

The bandage that is worn after heart surgery looks like a T-shirt with tightness clamps. You can purchase male and female versions of this bandage. The bandage is important to prevent lung congestion by coughing regularly.

Such prevention of stagnation is quite dangerous because the seams can disperse, the bandage in this case will protect the seams and contribute to strong scarring.

Also, the bandage will help prevent swelling and bruising, promotes the correct location of organs after heart surgery. And the bandage helps to relieve the load from the organs.

After heart surgery, the patient needs rehabilitation. How long it will last depends on the severity of the lesion and the severity of the operation. For example, after CABG, immediately after heart surgery, you need to start rehabilitation, this is a simple exercise therapy and massage.

After all types of heart surgery, medical rehabilitation, that is, supportive therapy, is needed. In almost all situations, the use of antiplatelet agents is mandatory.

If there is high blood pressure, then ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers are prescribed, as well as drugs to lower blood cholesterol (statins). Sometimes the patient is prescribed physical procedures.

Disability

It should be noted that disability is given to people with diseases of the cardiovascular system even before surgery. There must be evidence for this. From medical practice, it can be noted that they necessarily give disability after coronary artery bypass grafting. Moreover, there may be a disability of both 1 and 3 groups. It all depends on the severity of the pathology.

People who have circulatory disorders, grade 3 coronary insufficiency, or have had a myocardial infarction are also entitled to disability.

Regardless of whether the operation was performed or not yet. Patients with grade 3 heart defects and combined defects can apply for disability if there are persistent circulatory disorders.

Clinics

NII SP im. N. V. Sklifosovsky	Moscow, Bolshaya Sukharevskaya sq., 3	CABG without IR CABG with valve replacement Angioplasty and coronary artery stenting RFA Aortic stenting Valve replacement Valve repair	64300 rub. 76625 rub. 27155 rub. 76625 rub. 57726 rub. 64300 rub. 76625 rub.
KB MGMU them. Sechenov	Moscow, st. B. Pirogovskaya, 6	CABG with valve replacement Angioplasty and stenting of coronary arteries RFA Aortic stenting Prosthetic valves Valve repair Aneurysm resection	132000 rub. 185500 rub. 160000-200000 rub. 14300 rub. 132200 rub. 132200 rub. 132000-198000 rub.
FSCC FMBA	Moscow, Orekhovy Boulevard, 28	CABG Angioplasty and stenting of the coronary arteries RFA Aortic stenting Prosthetic valves Valve repair	110000-140000 rub. 50000 rub. 137000 rub. 50000 rub. 140000 rub. 110000-130000 rub.
NII SP im. I.I. Janelidze	St. Petersburg, st. Budapestskaya, 3	CABG Angioplasty and stenting of the coronary arteries Aortic stenting Prosthetic valves Valve plasty Multivalve prosthetics Probing of the heart cavities	60000 rub. 134400 rub. 25000 rub. 60000 rub. 50000 rub. 75000 rub. 17000 rub.
SPGMU them. I.P. Pavlova	St. Petersburg, st. L. Tolstoy, 6/8	CABG Angioplasty and coronary artery stenting Prosthetic valve replacement Multivalve prosthetic RFA	187000-220000 rub. 33000 rub. 198000-220000 rub. 330000 rub. 33000 rub.
MC "Shiba"	Derech Sheba 2, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan	CABG Prosthetic valves	30000 USD 29600 USD
MedMira	Huttropstr. 60, 45138 Essen, Germany 49 1521 761 00 12	Angioplasty CABG Prosthetic valves Cardiac examination Coronary angiography with stenting	EUR 8000 EUR 29000 EUR 31600 EUR 800-2500 EUR 3500
Greekomed	Central Russian office: Moscow, 109240, st. Upper Radishchevskaya, house 9 A	AKSH valve replacement	20910 euros 18000 euros

Do you still think that getting rid of HEART DISEASES is impossible!?

Do you often experience discomfort in the area of the heart (pain, tingling, squeezing)? You may suddenly feel weak and tired… You constantly feel high blood pressure… There is nothing to say about shortness of breath after the slightest physical exertion… And you have been taking a bunch of medications for a long time, dieting and watching your weight…

But judging by the fact that you are reading these lines, victory is not on your side. That is why we recommend reading the story of Olga Markovich, who found an effective remedy for cardiovascular diseases. >>>

Let us know about it -

rate

May God grant everyone to live a long life so that the surgeon's scalpel never touches his heart. However, not always cardiac surgery can be replaced by therapy.

When is surgery necessary?

When conservative therapy does not give the desired result.
When, despite all the ongoing treatment, the patient's condition continues to deteriorate.
When there are severe congenital heart defects, severe arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy.

By urgency, cardiosurgical operations are emergency and planned.

Emergencies are carried out when a person's life is in serious danger. This happens when a myocardial infarction occurs, a blood clot suddenly breaks off, or aortic dissection begins. They do not tolerate delay in surgery when the heart is injured. The consequences of delay are severe.
Planned are carried out in accordance with the developed plan for the correction of the patient's health. The date of the operation may be postponed depending on the circumstances. For example: with a cold, to avoid additional stress on the heart, or when the pressure suddenly dropped.

Surgical intervention differs in the technique of execution. There are such types of heart operations:

with the opening of the chest;
without opening the chest.

open heart surgery

Chest opening operations

Such surgical intervention is used in especially severe cases, when full accessibility of the heart is required during the operation.

Opening of the chest is performed with such pathologies:

tetralogy of Fallot (the so-called congenital heart disease with four serious violations of the anatomical structure);
serious anomalies of intracardiac partitions, valves, aorta and coronary arteries;
heart tumors.

The patient arrives at the hospital one day before the operation. Passes inspection, gives written consent. Be sure to wash with antibacterial soap and shave your hair. Where do you shave your body hair? The hair will be shaved at the site of the proposed incision. If you are going to have a coronary bypass surgery, you will have to shave your legs and groin. In the case of a heart valve replacement, it is necessary to shave the hair in the lower abdomen and in the groin area.

The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. To gain access to the heart, the surgeon opens the chest of the person being operated on. The patient is connected to an artificial lung ventilation apparatus, the heart stops for a while and surgical manipulations are performed with the organ.

How long the operation takes depends on the severity of the pathology. On average, several hours.

Tetralogy of Fallot

Open heart surgery has two advantages.

The surgeon has full access to the patient's heart.
Such a surgical intervention is possible without state-of-the-art medical equipment.

However, there are also significant drawbacks.

Surgical manipulations with the heart last several hours, which leads to fatigue of the operating team, during the operation there is a higher probability of making an erroneous action.
Opening the chest is fraught with various injuries.
There is a noticeable scar after heart surgery.
Various complications are not excluded:

myocardial infarction,
thromboembolism,
bleeding,
infections;
coma after surgery.

A long recovery is required with significant limitations in the patient's activities.

In most cases, when surgery is performed with an opening of the chest, disability is given after heart surgery, as after a heart attack.

What operations and under what pathologies are performed on the open heart?

Pathologies of the coronary arteries

Coronary artery bypass grafting is done in case of serious atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary arteries, which led to a severe form of coronary heart disease. The essence of shunting is to create a bypass for blood flow to the heart using a shunt, for which an artery or vein taken from the patient is used. For example: mammary coronary artery bypass grafting (MCB) is performed using the internal mammary (mammary) artery.

Operation Ross

Heart valve defects

Today, valves made from the patient's biological material are used to replace damaged valves.

The Ross procedure involves using the patient's own valvular pulmonary artery to replace a diseased aortic valve. An implant is placed in place of the pulmonary valve. Eliminates complications associated with rejection of a valve made of foreign material. Made for both adults and children.
The Ozaki operation involves the use of the patient's own tissue. Only in this case, the replacement of the aortic valve is performed with a valve made from the patient's pericardium. Complications with valve rejection are not observed for the same reason.