From Coronary Artery Disease to Valve Disorders: Why Cardiac Surgery is Needed

Often heart surgery is required for patients with coronary heart disease. Patients with congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease (disorder in one of the four valves of the heart) and heart failure may also need heart surgery. Apart from this, heart surgery is also done to implant a device to control the heartbeat.

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In the process of heart surgery, surgery is done on the heart muscles, valves or arteries by making a cut in the patient's chest. In this, the heart is connected to a heart lung bypass machine or bypass pump. This machine handles the function of the heart and lungs and pumps oxygen into the blood for blood circulation. A healthy artery or vein is used to create a new path around the blocked artery and the breastbone is closed with a wire. After the surgery, the incision is closed with stitches.

Now a new technique of coronary artery surgery has been invented which is called 'off pump bypass surgery'. In this surgery, there is no need for a heart lung bypass machine, which avoids many problems in surgery. Now there are some such hospitals in India, like Medanta Medicity Hospital located in Gurgaon, where surgeons have mastered this technique.

The most common open heart surgery is coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). It is done to remove the blockage in the coronary arteries. These arteries supply blood to the heart and if these arteries get narrowed or blocked due to plaque (fat) deposition, the person may face many risks such as angina (in this, due to lack of sufficient blood supply to the heart, there is severe pain in the chest which spreads to the shoulders, arms and neck), heart attack or congestive heart failure. In CABG, blood is supplied to the heart through a healthy artery or vein, that is, the blocked artery is “bypassed”.

CABG is a safe procedure but in some rare cases, the patient may suffer some harm such as infection, organ damage, stroke, kidney failure and pneumonia. However, if the patient's condition is more serious, then there is a greater risk of problems during or after surgery. If the surgery is done by an experienced surgeon, then the chances of these complications are very low.

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For open heart surgery, the patient has to stay in the hospital for a week to 10 days. To make the surgery successful, to recover quickly after surgery and to reduce the complications in surgery, many steps are taken before the surgery. First of all, the patient's complete medical history i.e. information about old diseases or operations etc. is taken. Then many tests and whole body tests are done to check all such diseases related to kidney, liver and brain which are often associated with heart disease. If any problem is detected in these tests, then finally they are controlled before surgery.

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After open heart surgery, close monitoring and immediate post operative support is required. Until the heart and respiratory systems start functioning properly, the patient is kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a few days for continuous monitoring. After the patient's condition stabilizes, he is taken from the ICU to normal care. After being discharged from the hospital, it is important to take care of the wound. If you see signs of infection around the wound, such as redness or leakage, contact the doctor immediately.

Recovery after surgery is gradual but for this the patient needs to be a little patient. One should not start his normal life immediately after the operation as it can cause fatigue or pain at the operation site. Apart from the muscles, pain can be felt in the throat. In such a situation, you can take mild painkillers. Physiotherapy is good for recovery after surgery. If you want to start a special cardiac rehabilitation program, then consult your doctor first. Regular blood tests, heart scans, and stress tests should also be done to prevent or monitor any health problems after surgery. To recover quickly from open heart surgery, it is advised to follow the following things:

• Healthy and balanced diet
• Reduce the intake of excess salt, fat and sugar
• Regular exercise
• No smoking
• Avoid alcohol
• Control blood pressure and cholesterol

By taking care of all these things, the patient can recover quickly after surgery.

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Cardiac surgery is needed when there is a serious problem in the functioning of the heart, which cannot be cured with medicines or other non-invasive treatments. This surgery is done for various heart problems, such as coronary artery disease (where there is a blockage in the arteries of the heart), heart valve defects, congenital heart defects, and heart rhythm disorders. In some cases, cardiac surgery is needed due to weakening of the heart muscle or heart failure. Surgery helps restore heart function and prevent serious complications.