When the arteries that supply the heart with blood (coronary arteries) become blocked with fatty substances, surgery may be required to restore blood flow to the heart muscle. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery uses pieces of arteries from the arm or chest or from veins in the leg to create a detour around the blocked coronary artery. The procedure involves making a cut through the front of the chest and breastbone (sternotomy) to expose the heart. The heart is then stopped and its function taken over by a heart-lung machine. Once the new blood vessels are in place, the heart is restarted, the heart-lung machine disconnected and the breastbone closed with wires. The operation usually takes between three and five hours.

There are four major heart valves that control blood flow through the heart. If the valves become narrow (stenosis) so that blood flow through them becomes difficult, or leaky so that some blood flows in the wrong direction, they may need to be repaired or replaced. Valves may be damaged by diseases such as rheumatic fever or bacterial infection, degenerate with age or may not be formed properly at birth. Heart valve surgery involves making a cut through the front of the chest and breastbone (sternotomy) to expose the heart. The heart is then stopped and its function taken over by a heart-lung machine. Part of the heart is then opened and the valve repaired or possibly replaced using a human donor valve, a valve from a pig or cow or an artificial valve. The heart is then restarted, the heart-lung machine disconnected and the breastbone closed with wires. The operation usually takes between three and five hours.

This is the dilatation or ballooning of a section of the aorta which is the main artery coming out of the heart. An aneurysm usually occurs because of an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that point. Very often you will not have any symptoms from the aneurysm and it may only be discovered through a chest x-ray or CT scan. If the aneurysm begins to get larger or leak, you may experience chest or back pain. If there is a risk of the aneurysm bursting, surgery will be required. Treatment Endovascular therapy: a long thin tube (catheter) is inserted through a small incision (cut) made in the groin in the groin. The catheter is guided to the site of the aneurysm and a graft (synthetic tube) or stent (a metal tube) is put in place to relieve the pressure on the aneurysm. Conventional: an incision is made in the abdomen or chest and the weakened part of the aorta is replaced with a graft.

Sometimes people are born with abnormalities of the heart or major blood vessels. Surgery may be required to repair these defects and may be performed during childhood or left until adulthood. Congenital heart surgery can involve: Repairing the abnormality e.g. repairing defects in the internal walls of the heart with stitches or a patch made from the patient’s own tissue or from an artificial source or A procedure that will make the patient feel more comfortable but that will not necessarily correct the defect e.g. inserting a tube to connect the aorta to the pulmonary artery to increase the blood flow to the lungs. When the arteries that supply the heart with blood (coronary arteries) become blocked with fatty substances, surgery may be required to restore blood flow to the heart muscle. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery uses pieces of arteries from the arm or chest or from veins in the leg to create a detour around the blocked coronary artery. The procedure involves making a cut through the front of the chest and breastbone (sternotomy) to expose the heart. The heart is then stopped and its function taken over by a heart-lung machine. Once the new blood vessels are in place, the heart is restarted, the heart-lung machine disconnected and the breastbone closed with wires. The operation usually takes between three and five hours.