How is open heart surgery performed?

Answer 1

Go to the Mayo clinic website....there is a step by step description. www.mayoclinic.com. I go there for practically everything medical.

Answer 2

I'm not a doctor, but here is the layperson's version:
Tests are done beforehand as in all surgeries. The patient is put under general anesthesia. The surgeon opens the chest cavity after the skin incision by using a saw all the way down the sternum (breastbone) and spreading the ribcage with a spreading device. The patient's heart is put on bypass so the heart can be stopped to make the surgeon's job easier. A heart/lung machine does the work in the meantime. Then, after whatever repair work the surgeon does to the heart, it is restarted with electrically charged paddles. The breastbone is then sewn together with stainless steel wire and the skin is closed either with sutures (stitches) or staples which are removed later.

Answer 3

Here is a short version of the procedure.


Open heart surgery is done with general anesthesia. This means that the person is put to sleep with medications and feels no pain during the surgery. He or she is put on an artificial breathing machine, or ventilator, during the surgery.

The chest area is first cleaned with an antibacterial soap. Next, an incision is made into the chest. Usually, the incision is made into the breastbone, or sternum. The heart is exposed.

The person must then be put on a heart-lung bypass machine. This involves special tubes that move blood around, or bypass, the heart. The blood is sent into a special machine that keeps the blood circulating and full of oxygen.

Once the person is connected to the bypass machine, the heart is cut open. The surgeon can then fix the heart problem. This may involve repairing a valve, sewing a defect closed, or bypassing blocked arteries.

When the problem is repaired, the heart is sewn shut. The person is taken off the heart-lung machine. Once the person's heart is working again to pump the blood, the chest incision can be closed. The person is taken off anesthesia and sent to the surgery recovery room.


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