Cardiac Surgery
Trusted Heart Surgery Services in Arcadia
Though less-invasive treatments have come a long way, Heart surgery is
still sometimes necessary to treat cardiovascular disease. The cardiology
experts at USC Arcadia Hospital are skilled and experienced in a wide
array of cardiac surgeries. Though surgery can be frightening, our staff
will guide you through this process to build your confidence and put you
and your family at ease. Our hospital is recognized as one of the safest
hospitals in the U.S. by numerous organizations, so you can trust that
you or your loved one will be in good hands during the procedure.
Below you will find an overview of some common cardiac procedures and how
they are performed at USC Arcadia Hospital.
Minimally Invasive Open-Heart Procedures
Though open-heart surgery is sometimes required to treat cardiovascular
conditions, our cardiothoracic surgeons make use of the latest medical
advances to make even these procedures as minimally invasive as possible.
Many of our open-heart procedures are performed using the "off-pump."
This acts as a replacement for the heart-lung machine that allows patients
to have breathing tubes removed sooner, improving comfort and speeding
the recovery process.
Our team also makes use of a minimally invasive procedure to remove leg
veins that can be used in the heart. Traditionally, this procedure has
required surgeons to cut open a patient's leg to access the vein,
but our team makes use of a safe, cutting-edge technique that only requires
a few strategic incisions to facilitate the removal.
Atrial Fibrillation Surgery
Have you recently noticed your heart beating more rapidly? This may be
an indicator that you are at risk of a serious heart complication. Atrial
fibrillation is an irregularity in your heart's electrical activity
that causes an irregular heartbeat and impedes the heart's ability
to pump blood. You may not have many symptoms of AFib until a cardiac
event occurs, but keep an eye out for:
- Lightheadedness
- Chest pain
- Rapid heartbeat and random intervals
- Pumping feeling in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Reduced ability to exercise
There are a few procedures that treat AFib. One is a pacemaker implant,
wherein a small device is placed under the skin near the heart to release
electrical signals whenever it detects an irregular heartbeat. Another
common procedure is ablation surgery. These are minimally invasive procedures
where a catheter is inserted through the throat or groin and emits radio
waves to destroy damaged scar tissue.
Artery Plaque Removal
Clogged arteries are the result of plaque build in blood vessels. As arterial
plaque builds up it increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other
cardiac events. Plaque is created from various substances like cholesterol
and fat. It lines the walls of your arteries and reduces bloods ability
to flow freely, forcing the heart to work harder. This condition is called
atherosclerosis.
Cardiologists have come up with a number of operations that can remove
arterial plaque and widen the arteries.
The following are some procedures used to remove arterial plaque:
-
Angioplasty - In this operation, a thin tube with a small balloon at the tip is placed
in inserted into the artery. The balloon is inflated to force the artery
to widen. Angioplasty is often accompanied with
stenting.
-
Bypass Surgery - When an artery is damaged beyond repair, a doctor may use bypass surgery
to redirect blood flow through a healthy artery.
-
Laser Angioplasty - This is similar to balloon angioplasty, except instead of forcing an artery
to widen a small laser destroys arterial plaque to get the blood flowing
freely again.
More on Heart Surgery
There are several other forms of heart surgery your doctor may recommend
for you condition. At USC Arcadia Hospital, our staff will be happy to
answer any of your questions about various procedures. Simply knowing
more about an operation can help increase your confidence and reduce anxiety.
For more information on our Cardiology Program, contact our team directly
at 626-898-8845.