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Cardiac Surgeons in Dhakuria

Open Heart Surgery

Best Cardiac Surgeons in Dhakuria

This is a procedure that involves the opening of the chest cavity and creating a bypass system that allows blood to pump through your body without going through the heart. During open heart surgery, the heart is stopped for a period of time until surgical procedures or investigations can be completed. Once the surgical objective has been achieved, the surgeon restarts the heart and closes up the chest cavity. Consult the best heart doctors in Kolkata for open heart surgery and post-operative care.

FAQ's

The following cardiac conditions can be treated with Open-Heart Surgery:

  • Arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm).
  • Congenital heart defects may include atrial septal defects (holes in the heart) or hypoplastic left heart syndrome (underdeveloped heart structures).
  • Coronary artery disease (restriction of blood flow in your coronary arteries).
  • Heart failure.
  • Heart valve disease.
  • Thoracic aortic aneurysm (development of a bulge in the aorta through which oxygen-rich blood travels from the heart to the rest of the body).

To prepare for Open-Heart Surgery, you should follow the protocols mentioned below:

  • Some drugs must be stopped, as per your doctor's instructions, one or two weeks before the procedure
  • Medications like blood thinners or others that can hinder healing need to be stopped. These medicines can increase bleeding risk
  • Your healthcare professional will tell you to avoid eating the night before surgery
  • You also need to quit smoking and drinking alcohol some weeks prior to the surgery. Both can slow post-surgical healing and increase the risk of complications

Before Open-Heart surgery, you can expect to have:

  • Diagnostic tests like Chest X-rays and an Electrocardiogram (ECG) will help the surgeon plan the procedure
  • Shaving of the chest area
  • Sterilisation of the surgical area with antimicrobial (bacteria-killing) soap
  • Placement of an intravenous line (IV) in the arm for drug and fluid administration.

 

There are two ways Open-Heart Surgery is performed:

On-Pump Open-Heart Surgery: This common practice for Open-Heart Operations is to stop the heart so the surgeon may work on it while it is still. A cardiopulmonary bypass machine, also known as a heart-lung bypass machine, will be attached to the patient, allowing them to breathe and the machine pumps blood throughout the treatment. After the procedure, the patient's heart starts beating again, and the equipment is detached.

Off-Pump Open Heart Surgery: Because the heart is not halted during the treatment, this may also be referred to as "beating heart surgery." During the procedure, the patient will be put on a ventilator; however, a cardiopulmonary bypass machine is not necessary. The only Open Cardiac Surgery that is done off-pump is Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).

Different surgical procedures are needed to treat different heart diseases. Open-heart surgery may involve the following types of procedures:

  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): If you have coronary artery disease (CAD) that cannot be managed with medicine or interventional procedures, you may need heart surgery
  • Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Surgery: This includes the repair and replacement of all four valves of the heart
  • Septal Myectomy: This surgery is used to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickened heart muscle
  • Pericardiectomy: It involves the surgical removal of the membrane surrounding the heart (pericardium)
  • Heart Transplantation: Heart Transplantation surgeries are required for those who are suffering from very severe heart failure

Most of the time, you need to stay in the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) for at least one day. After which, you will move to a regular hospital room. You should plan on being in the hospital for a few days. Your incisional care team will provide you with instructions.

There are some commonly experienced conditions that you may experience after the surgery, including:

  • Constipation (due to the side effects of strong pain relievers)
  • Depression or mood swings
  • Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
  • Loss of appetite
  • Memory problems
  • Pain in the chest area
  • Pain, bruising, and minor swelling at the incision site

Open-heart surgery is a complex procedure. Like all surgeries, there are some potential risks associated with Open Heart Surgery. The risks are greater if you have health and metabolic disorders like diabetes, obesity, or lung problems. Smokers also experience more complications post-surgery.

The potential surgery risks include:

  • Bleeding
  • Blood clot
  • Chest pain and fever
  • Allergic reaction to anaesthesia
  • Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
  • Pneumonia
  • Damage to the kidneys and lungs
  • Infections
  • Stroke

On average, it may take 6 to 12 weeks or longer to recover from an Open Heart Surgery. Recovery also depends on the type of surgery, your overall health, and the risks of complications. You will be guided by a healthcare professional to take care of yourself.

You need to contact your healthcare provider if you experience the following unusual things:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Vomiting
  • Chest pain
  • Infections at the operating site
  • High fever that does not improve with medicines.

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