A Brief Guide to Beating-Heart Surgery
Beating-heart surgery refers to a less invasive form of heart surgery in which a surgery is performed without the heart being stopped. Heart surgery can be a cause of stress and worry for a patient even if they know that the surgery is necessary for their well-being. Modern medicine continues to find ways to improve the procedure and today there are many options for minimally invasive surgeries such as beating-heart surgery that can make the whole procedure a lot simpler.
Educate yourself about the options available and work with your medical professionals to find a surgery that will work well for you and your disease. A well-informed patient is likely to be a less stressed patient and this can be a major psychological advantage in recovery.
What is minimally invasive heart surgery?
Traditional heart surgery involves a six to eight inch incision and less invasive surgery is done with a smaller incision. For this reason, it is also referred to as keyhole surgery.
The smaller incision for this surgery means lesser healing time and a smaller scar. It also reduces the amount of blood loss and the body has to deal with lesser degree of trauma. All this translates to quicker recovery time and a shorter stay in the hospital.
Minimally invasive surgery can be performed in two types of heart conditions and these are valve surgeries and coronary artery bypass graft also referred to as CABG. The beating-heart surgery is a CABG procedure.
What happens in a beating-heart surgery?
Beating-heart surgery, which is also called Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass surgery, involves the surgeon working on the heart while it is still beating. Sometimes a medicine is given to slow down the heart during the procedure. It is a viable option in cases where the patient has a problem affecting a single vessel such as the right coronary artery or the left anterior artery.
In the traditional form of CABG surgery a heart-lung machine is used to assist during surgery. This cardiopulmonary bypass allows the heart to be stopped while the surgeon works on fixing whatever is defective with the organ. It means that the surgeon gets to work on a surface that is not covered in blood or moving. The machine fills in for the functions of the heart during this time. The fact that the heart has to be stopped and re-started comes with a certain element of risk. Weighed in the balance it is seen as a risk worth taking in cases where a surgeon recommends open-heart surgery.
However, now beating-heart surgery offers an interesting option for those patients who are eligible. The heart-lung machine is not used in these cases. Other operating equipment or tissue stabilization equipment helps to hold sections of the heart in place and facilitates the surgeon working on the blocked artery. Even while the surgeon works on the affected section, the heart continues to function and circulate blood to the body. The surgery serves to increase blood flow to the heart and a blocked artery usually means reduced blood flow.
This procedure is shown to have lesser side effects on certain types of patients. Your doctor can offer the best advice on which procedure will suit your needs the best. It is important to follow medical advice when undergoing such procedures.
After beating-heart surgery a patient can hope to leave the hospital in 2 to 5 days. Patients should follow a healthy routine during recovery and after. A good balanced diet, avoiding greasy foods and smoking, making time to exercise and keeping an eye on blood pressure and blood sugar must be a part of the check list of heart patients.