Open heart surgery

Alternative names:

heart surgery - open

Definition:

Any surgery where the chest is opened and surgery is performed on the heart. The term "open" refers to the chest, not the heart itself (which may or may not be opened depending on the type of surgery). Open heart surgery includes surgery on the heart muscle, valves, arteries, or other structures.

A heart-lung machine (also called heart-lung bypass) is usually used to help provide oxygen-rich blood to the brain, heart muscle, and other vital body areas. It pumps the blood, supplies oxygen to the blood, and removes carbon dioxide from the blood.

Related topics:

• angioplasty of the heart
• atrial septal defect repair
• cardiac transplant
• coarctation of the aorta repair
• congenital heart defect corrective surgery
• heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft)
• heart transplant
• heart valve prosthesis
• heart valve surgery
• heart-and-lung transplant
• hypoplastic left heart repair
• patent ductus arteriosus ligation
• PDA ligation
• prosthetic heart valves
• tetralogy of fallot repair
• total anomalous pulmonary artery correction
• transplant of the heart
• transplant of the heart and lungs
• transposition of great vessels repair
• tricuspid atresia repair
• truncus arteriosus repair
• valve replacement
• ventricular septal defect repair
• VSD repair