What does a cardiac surgeon treat? What procedures are done by cardiac surgeons? What are the responsibilities of a cardiac surgeon?

Cardiac surgeons can treat any disease, condition or injury that requires surgery to repair or correct. This can include anything from trauma — like from a car crash, stab wound or gunshot — to correcting heart damage from a disease or a condition a person had when they were born. Some of the most common conditions that require a cardiac surgeon include: 

Heart valve diseases. Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias). Heart failure. Aortic dissection. Congenital heart problems like holes between chambers of the heart, including ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect. 

At Shalby Hospital, the best cardiac Surgeon in Ahmedabad perform a wide range of surgeries and procedures. Some of the most common include: 

Maze procedure. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Congenital heart surgeries. Heart valve repair and replacement procedures. Device implantation [pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), etc., which may be performed by a physician who specializes in electrophysiology]. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) surgery. Heart transplants. 

 

Surgeons often train in multiple methods of performing the same type of surgery. This can include surgeries that are: 

Minimally invasive: These procedures are similar to open procedures but use much smaller incisions and specialized surgical tools. Smaller incisions heal easier, are less painful, lose less blood and generally have fewer risks. 

Robot-assisted: A specially trained surgeon can use a robot to help them do surgery. Sitting at a console near the operating table, the surgeon “drives” the robot, using tools attached to various arms of the robot. The robot also includes a special camera inserted into the body through one of the incisions. These cameras let the surgeon see inside, often in 3-D (just like most people see because they have two eyes). In addition, the robot lets the surgeon maneuver more easily inside and has a greater range of motion (the tools can often rotate 360 degrees, much more than a surgeon's wrist). 

 

A cardiac surgeon isn’t just responsible for performing surgeries. Their duties often include — but aren’t limited to — the following: 

 

Documenting. Cardiac surgeons must document the surgeries and provide detailed notes and records on what they did. 

Teaching. Cardiac surgeons often practice in academic teaching hospitals. That means they care for patients and teach future physicians and surgeons about heart surgery and how it impacts patients. 

Training. These surgeons also train and work alongside other doctors, surgeons and operating room staff, much like actor’s train in a dress rehearsal, so that things go smoothly and safely during actual operations. 

Continuing education. All doctors must constantly keep learning and training. Depending on what state or country they’re in, surgeons must meet varying levels of requirements. If they don't, they will lose their license to practice. This also includes rigorous board certification education and tests, with some of the tests taking several hours or even days to complete. 

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