Cardiothoracic Surgery

What is Cardiothoracic Surgery?

Cardiothoracic surgery is a specialized field of surgery that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases and conditions affecting the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest (thoracic cavity). Cardiothoracic surgeons are trained to perform complex procedures on these organs to treat conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders, lung cancer, esophageal disorders, and congenital heart defects.

Cardiothoracic surgery involves various treatments and procedures designed to address conditions of the heart, lungs, and thoracic cavity. The main types of treatments in cardiothoracic surgery include:

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG):

A surgical procedure to improve blood flow to the heart by bypassing blocked coronary arteries using a graft, typically taken from the patient’s own veins or arteries.

Heart Valve Repair or Replacement:

Surgery to repair or replace damaged heart valves, which can involve techniques like valve repair, mechanical valve replacement, or bioprosthetic valve replacement.

Thoracic Surgery:

• Lobectomy: Removal of a lobe of the lung, commonly performed to treat lung cancer.
• Pneumonectomy: Removal of an entire lung, often necessary for extensive lung cancer.
• VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery): A minimally invasive technique using small incisions and a camera to perform lung surgeries.

Esophageal Surgery:

Procedures to treat esophageal cancer, achalasia, and other esophageal disorders, including esophagectomy (removal of the esophagus) and fundoplication (to treat acid reflux).

Aortic Surgery:

• Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Surgery to repair a weakened section of the aorta, which may involve open surgery or endovascular techniques.
• Aortic Dissection Repair: Emergency surgery to repair a tear in the aorta’s inner layer.

Congenital Heart Surgery:

Procedures to correct congenital heart defects present at birth, such as atrial septal defects (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), and Tetralogy of Fallot.

Heart Transplantation:

Surgical replacement of a diseased heart with a healthy donor heart, typically performed in patients with end-stage heart failure who do not respond to other treatments.

Lung Transplantation:

Surgical procedure to replace one or both diseased lungs with healthy donor lungs, used to treat severe lung diseases such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and cystic fibrosis.

Pericardial Surgery:

Procedures to treat conditions affecting the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart), including pericardiectomy (removal of the pericardium) and pericardial window (to drain excess fluid).

Mediastinal Surgery:

Surgical procedures to treat tumors and other conditions in the mediastinum, the central compartment of the thoracic cavity, including thymectomy (removal of the thymus gland).