Open heart surgery is available right here - close to home. And
that means patients in our region no longer have to travel far from
home for advanced cardiac services.
Our Open Heart Team includes:
- World-class heart surgeons, who have years of experience
performing open heart surgery in some of the major teaching
hospital in the United States. Meet the surgeons
- Nurses, perfusionists and other support staff who also have
extensive experience and training in cardiac surgery.
- Highly trained critical care nurses who staff our cardiac
critical care units. The state-of-the-art unit incorporates all of
the latest technology and design in post-surgical treatment of open
heart surgery patients.
At The Heart & Vascular Institute at Lima Memorial, our
open heart surgery suites, cardiovascular intensive care and step
down units are housed on the same floor providing a unique
single-floor concept for safety and convenience. The floor
has critical care beds that permit patients to remain in the
same room from post-op to recovery. The step down unit provides the
extra care and attention patients require along with closer
observation.
It is because of the extra care given to patients and their
families, along with the experience of our physicians and nursing
staff that the region has come to look at Lima Memorial as the
hospital of choice when it comes to open-heart surgery. This
confidence is evident in the fact that Lima Memorial performs more
open heart surgeries than any other hospital in our region.
What is Open Heart Surgery?
Open-heart surgery generally means an operation in which the
surgeon opens the chest and makes changes to the heart or the
arteries on the surface of the heart. This surgery is one of the
most commonly performed operations in the United States, with a
high overall survival rate. There are a variety of types of
open-heart surgeries, depending on the condition being treated and
the overall health of the patient.
A heart-lung mahcine (also called cardiopulmonary bypass) is
usually used during conventional open heart surgery. It helps
provide oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other vital organs.
The definition of open heart surgery has become confusing with
new procedures being performed on the heart through smaller
incisions. There are some new surgical procedures being performed
that are done with the heart still beating.
Minimally invasive heart surgery is still considered open
heart surgery. However, these procedures are being used in some
patients as an alternative to open heart surgery requiring the
heart-lung machine.