What is the Cardiovascular Surgery?

Today, the greatest complaints threatening the human health are experienced in the heart and related organs. Therefore, the mortality rates due to the heart-related diseases have also increased over the years. The cardiovascular surgery is a unit that provides early detection and surgical treatment of the heart diseases as well as the diseases caused by three vessels that affect the cardiac function. Using the novel facilities of the modern medicine, it is ensured that the patients recover their health with the most appropriate surgical methods determined according to the needs of the patient. In particular, the contributions of anesthesia and physiotherapy units increase the success rate of the surgical intervention and provide comfort to the patient in the postoperative period.

Which Diseases Does Cardiovascular Surgery Deal with?

The cardiovascular surgery covers all problems about the heart that may require early diagnosis and intervention. For this reason, the diseases that fall under the specialty of the unit are also related to the heart itself, the coronary vessels that supply the heart, cardiac valves and the cooperating circulatory system (arteries, veins). Heart attack: Due to the triggering of some factors that cause the cardiac problems, the heart muscles may completely experience an anoxic situation. In this condition, which is called a heart attack, the cells in the heart muscle begin to die after a while and may lead to irreversible outcomes. This situation affects the physiological functioning of the heart and causes a heart failure after a while. Angina: Commonly known as the chest pain, an angina occurs when the blood flow needed by the heart muscle decreases. It is typical for a chest pain to increase with a physical effort and abate within a few minutes after resting. Hypertension: The hypertension, which is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases, is caused by anelevation in the blood pressure pumped from the heart to the body. The hypertension is genetically inherited, however, in some cases it occurs due to the external factors. Pulmonary Hypertension: The right side of our heart has a lower pressurized system than the left side. The pressure against the blood flow pumped by the right side of our heart (right atrium and then right ventricle) is called the pulmonary pressure. An elevation in pressure is called the pulmonary hypertension (PH). Arteriosclerosis: The detrimental wastes including the fat and cholesterol that accumulate in the arteries over time narrow the arterial lumens and occasionally occlude it completely. The circulation of the area supplied by the artery is adversely affected due to the decrease in the blood flow through the area narrowed severely. Pericardial Effusion: A fluid is secreted between the layers of the pericardium, which is the outer membrane of the heart, to protect the cardiac health. If the amount of fluid in this area, called the pericardial space, increases more than necessary, a pericardial effusion occurs. Myocarditis: Myocarditis, colloquially known as the inflammation of the heart muscle, occurs when the infection in the body induces an inflammation in the heart muscles. Therefore, the heart muscles become vulnerable to the external threats and invite the diseases. Cardiomyopathy: The cardiomyopathy, also called thickening of the cardiac muscle, is caused by the enlargement and thickening of the patient's cardiac muscle over time. Cardiomyopathy has negative effects on daily life, in addition to its effects including the shortness of breath and arrhythmia. Cardiac valve disorders: The congenital or acquired disorders can be observed in the cardiac valve. The cardiac valve diseases, which pose a significant health risk, require a surgical intervention after a certain stage as well as a regular follow-up. Aortic diseases: The aortic vessel, which enables oxygen-rich blood to be carried to many organs of the body, especially the heart, can be damaged due to various problems such as aneurysm and rupture, and it emerges as a serious health problem that threatens the patient life. A surgical intervention is required permanently to solve this health problem, which is enclosed by the field of cardiovascular surgery. Cardiac tumor: The hears is one of the organs where a tumor can be detected. There may be tumors that may arise directly from the heart itself, or in the form of the spread of tumor in the surrounding tissues. The treatment of cardiac tumors, which are usually benign, is one of the areas of interest in the cardiovascular surgery.

Applications in the Cardiovascular Surgery Unit

Surgical interventions used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases are determined according to the type and severity of the disease. While a bypass and angiographic treatments are mainly applied for the cardiovascular diseases, several procedures in the scope of of modern medicine are performed for the diseases that require more detailed intervention.

Coronary Bypass Surgery

When the occlusion and narrowing of the coronary vessels that supply the heart occur, a sufficient amount blood cannot be pumped to the heart. In cases where the problem that adversely affects the life quality poses a life-threatening risk, it is possible to clear the occluded coronary vessels. By an open-heart surgery, a bridging procedure is applied to the occluded vessel with another vessel (artery or vein) dissected from another part of the body. In this way, the bridging process ensures that the blood flow returns to its physiological state.

Vascular Removal for Bypass Through Small Incisions

For a by-pass surgery, the transfer of a healthy vessel is provided from other parts of the body. Small incisions are made by using the endoscopic methods in order to obtain the required vessel from the arms or legs. Thus, the vessel to be used for bypass is supplied from the body without the need for a critical surgical procedure.

Coronary Angiography

Angiography is applied to easily screen the coronary vessels in the heart. By injecting non-harmful contrast agents such as colored dye into the arteries, it is ensured that the vessels are clearly observed. It enables planning of the treatment by determining the narrowed or occluded coronary arteries.

Angiography via the Wrist

Angiography via the wrist, which provides more effortless and faster outcomes than the conventional angiographic procedures, is performed under the local anesthesia. This method is easily applied especially for individuals who have difficulty in detecting the vessels due to an excessive weight.

Cardiac Valve Disorders

A congenital or acquired narrowing and structural defects can be observed in the cardiac valve. These defects that negatively affect the blood flow of the heart need an open-heart surgery which is applied to repair or replace the valve. The mechanic or tissue valves are preferred in the replacement process.

Aortic Aneurysm Surgery

Balloon-shaped enlargements may occur in the aortic arteries that pumps the clear blood to the body. These enlargements, called aneurysms, can reach health-compromising dimensions in time. Therefore, an aortic aneurysm should be followed up by a physician, and a surgical treatment should be considered immediately in patients with increased size and signs of rupture.

Left Ventricular Aneurysm Repair

After a heart attack, sac-like enlargements can be observed in the left ventricular area of the heart. During the contraction of the heart, some of the blood pumped in each beat of the heart is pooled in this sac and the amount of blood pumped to the tissues decreases. Sometimes a blood clot can form in the sac and a serious clinical presentation is encountered if this clot reaches to the brain or other organs. A heart failure and stroke are also among the consequences of an aneurysm in the left ventricle. Therefore, the area where the aneurysm occurs should be identified by angiography and surgically treated.

Surgical Interventions for Cardiac Tumors

Despite being rare, the tumors that emerges in the heart must be surgically removed from the body. A minimally invasive method is frequently used in the treatment process, which develops depending on whether the tumor is benign or malignant. In this method, small incisions are made under the nipple and the shrinking tumor is removed out of the body. The vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to other organs in the body are called arteries. A bypass solution is recommended for cases who have narrowing and occlusion in these vessels. It is based on the principle of transporting oxygen-rich blood beyond the occluded area as in the coronary bypass.

ABI Test

Ankle-Brachial index (ABI), which is used in the diagnosis of peripheral artery disease, is measured by attaching a blood pressure cuff to the legs and arms. By reporting the outcomes in a similar way to the blood pressure, the peripheral vascular diseases that may be experienced in the arm and leg arteries are detected.