Dealing with blocked heart arteries with the help of cardiac bypass surgery has been one of the most reliable surgical treatments used by cardiac surgeons. With the development of medical sciences, the surgery itself has seen several transformations in its procedure.
The majority of these surgeries are carried out traditionally, i.e. by making a 6 to 8-inch cut in the chest while making use of a heart-lung machine that manages the function of the heart. Though, new treatments like beating heart bypass surgery are also becoming a famous treatment choice. Let us know more about this surgical treatment and look at how it has proved to be advantageous in the field of cardiology.
What is a Beating Heart Bypass Surgery?
Also referred to as off-pump coronary artery bypass, it is a kind of surgery carried out to treat coronary heart diseases. The major highlight of this cardiac bypass surgery is that it is executed without cardiopulmonary bypass (heart-lung machine). This indicates that the heart continues to beat while the doctors conduct the heart bypass surgery procedure. Surgeons make use of instruments called stabilizers to stabilize the part of the heart needed to be bypassed.
This technique was introduced to minimize the complications and side effects that take place after conventional cardiac bypass surgery. Some of the complications consist of stroke, temporary memory loss and bleeding to name a few. Furthermore, according to the research, off-pump surgery also lowers recovery time and the need for blood transfusion.
What Happens in Beating Heart Bypass Surgery?
Before the Surgery
To make sure that the patient is an appropriate candidate for beating heart bypass surgery, the doctors conduct various tests that include chest X-Rays, blood tests, electrocardiogram (ECG) and coronary angiogram. It is only after examining the results of these tests that medical professionals give the go-ahead to beating heart cardiac bypass surgery treatment plan.
Prior to the surgery, the patient is also introduced with the surgery team and offered details about the heart bypass surgery procedure. Our staff of cardiac surgeons at Heart Care understands the worries and doubts that can develop in a patient's mind and hence are ever-ready to assist them through the procedure.
During the Surgery
The individual is given general anesthesia and a breathing tube at the starting point of the surgery. Compared to the traditional cardiac bypass surgery, no heart-lung machine is utilized, and the heart continues to beat during the treatment. The surgeons make a cut, and the breastbone is separated to gain access to the heart. Incase of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, the operating surgeon makes a small incision.
The operating doctors harvest veins or arteries from another area of the body for grafts. When the surgeons connect the grafts, they make use of a stabilization device to keep the small part of the heart stable. Sometimes, a heart positioner is also used. When the grafting is done, the surgeons stitch the incision together. This surgery may last for about 3 to 6 hours based on the number of arteries that need to be treated.
After the Surgery
Once the surgery is done, the patient is moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for close tracking and observation. If the medical professionals find the condition stabilized, they move the patient to another unit for some period until the discharge. As compared to the conventional cardiac bypass surgery, beating heart bypass surgery results in a shorter hospital stay.
At the moment of discharge, we at Heart Care, the best heart hospital in Mumbai also guide our patients about the preventive steps and healthy lifestyle changes that can boost their recovery rate effectively.
