It’s natural to worry when you find out you may need cardiovascular surgery to recover from a heart attack, vascular disease or other heart conditions like congenital heart disease. Your heart is vital to your survival – and that’s why it’s important to have confidence in your surgical team.

Aurora Health Care’s heart surgeons’ level of experience, combined with our dedication to compassionate treatment, means you can trust us to take exceptional care of your heart.

What are cardiovascular surgeries?

Cardiovascular surgery, also known as heart surgery, describes any surgical procedure that involves the heart, arteries or any of the systems that carry blood to and from the heart. Cardiac surgeries are commonly used to treat heart diseases, congenital heart diseases, as well as treating the effects of heart attacks, strokes or blood clots. These procedures are also done on patients who are at a higher risk of developing future heart conditions and problems.

Cardiovascular surgery isn’t always needed to treat heart problems, but your provider might suggest it for a number of reasons such as:

• Addressing irregular heartbeats
• Fixing damaged or diseased heart valves
• Opening blocked or narrowed arteries
• Preventing future heart attacks and blood clots
• Repairing congenital heart defects

Some conditions may require open heart surgery, but many can be treated with minimally invasive procedures.

At Aurora Health Care, cardiovascular surgery patients are cared for by a health care team that includes a primary care doctor, cardiologist, cardiovascular surgeon, anesthesiologist and other specialists.

Our surgeons work closely with our cardiovascular and thoracic teams to improve your heart health. Together, we create a collaborative treatment plan, including heart surgery, tailored to your specific health needs.

What are common cardiovascular surgeries?

Cardiovascular surgery can vary from more intensive procedures like open heart surgery to minimally invasive procedures to clear arteries of blood clots. Some of the more common procedures include:

• Heart bypass: A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery reroutes blood vessels to go around blockages in the heart’s arteries. Bypass surgery makes it possible for blood to reach all areas of the heart, which can prevent a heart attack. Bypass surgery is the most common type of open heart surgery performed in the U.S. and usually takes around three to six hours. .
• Heart valve repair and replacement: The heart valves open and close to pump blood through the heart. When other treatments don’t work, heart valve repair and replacement surgery may help restore the valve. We offer many minimally invasive options like catheterization procedures to reduce your pain and shorten your recovery time.
• Aneurysm and blood vessel repair: Aortic repair surgery can help manage problems with the aorta. Surgeons can repair tears and bulges in artery walls that can burst and cause internal bleeding.
• Arrhythmia care: We often correct arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) with medication, minimally invasive procedures in the cardiac catheterization laboratory or with open heart surgery.
• Heart transplant: Sometimes, advanced heart failure requires a new heart. We are Wisconsin’s heart transplant leaders, having completed 1,000 such procedures.
• Improving heart function: We may treat atherosclerosis with surgery to remove plaque from the heart or arteries. We may also surgically treat cardiomyopathy (an enlarged, weakened heart) to improve blood flow.

What are the benefits of cardiovascular surgery?

Cardiovascular surgery is aimed at improving your quality of life while improving your overall heart function. Some other benefits include:

1. Improved heart function: Cardiovascular surgeries aim to help restore normal blood flow to the heart along with alleviating chest pain and shortness of breath. These procedures help increase heart function and overall well-being.
2. Increased life expectancy: One of the main benefits of cardiovascular surgery is the potential for increased life expectancy, especially for patients with severe heart conditions.
3. Improved quality of life: After cardiovascular surgery, many patients experience increased energy and reduced fatigue. Patients also experience the ability to return to normal daily activities and partake in a more active lifestyle.
4. Reduced dependence on medications: Cardiovascular surgery can also help reduce the need for long-term medications and even, in some cases, allow patients to fully go off previous medications.

Risks of cardiovascular surgery

Cardiovascular surgery is generally safe, but like with any procedure, there are risks. These risks can include:

• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Bleeding during or after the surgery
• Breathing problems
• Failure of the graft (if applicable)
• Heart attack
• Infection
• Kidney failure
• Pneumonia
• Stroke

Any concerns you have should be discussed with your provider before the procedure.

An overview of open heart surgery

Open heart surgery refers to surgery that needs to be performed while the heart is stopped. While the open heart surgery procedure is being done, you are connected to a heart-lung bypass machine or bypass pump, which does the work of your heart.

After open heart surgery, it’s important to take enough time to make a full recovery. Open heart surgery puts a lot of stress on your body, so it’s important to follow your surgeon’s instructions about limitations on your activities carefully.

What are common open heart surgeries?

Sometimes, if you have a heart condition that can’t be treated with a minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery, then your provider may turn to larger procedures, like open heart surgery. Open heart surgery may be needed for the following conditions:

• Coronary artery bypass graft
• Heart valve surgery
• Surgery to correct congenital heart diseases

World class cardiovascular surgery at Aurora Health

People from around the Midwest choose our hospitals and clinics for our track record of safety and excellence, especially in transcatheter procedures. Our heart and vascular surgeons provide care at multiple locations in eastern Wisconsin, including Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee.

You can feel confident with our:

• National ranking: U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks our heart program among the best in the country. We’re dedicated to improving and transforming heart care.
• ACC Valve Center of Excellence Certified: This certification from the American College of Cardiology identifies Aurora St. Luke's as a leader in transcatheter valve procedures.
• Latest treatments: We continually use the latest technology. Whenever possible, we make a procedure less invasive so that your recovery can be faster and easier.
• Top team: Our surgical teams and interventional cardiologists perform about 1,500 heart and vascular procedures every year. Our experience translates into better results for the people we care for.
• Innovative research: We’re leaders in clinical trials and cardiovascular research to study new surgical approaches, including leading the Midwest in minimally invasive valve replacement or repair. We also study new devices to treat heart failure, arrhythmia and other types of heart disease.
• Advanced technology: At our robotic heart center, our specially trained surgeons use robotic surgical tools to perform precise cardiovascular surgery with the smallest possible incisions. We also have several hybrid cardiac catheterization labs that combine interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery in one procedure for better results.