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Beating Heart Bypass Surgery FAQ
Imagine watching your favorite television program only hours after major heart bypass surgery. Or resting comfortably at home just two days after surgery, and resuming your everyday activities within weeks, rather than months.
It's all possible thanks to beating-heart bypass surgery, an extraordinary procedure pioneered and performed routinely at Union Memorial Hospital.
What is beating-heart bypass surgery?
Beating-heart surgery is coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) performed while the heart is still beating, eliminating the need for a heart-lung machine, which is used in traditional heart bypass surgery.
How does beating-heart surgery differ from traditional bypass surgery?
Beating heart bypass surgery is different from traditional bypass surgery because it is performed while your heart is still beating. The surgeon does not use the heart-lung machine to stop your heart during the procedure. This provides greater protection for the lungs, kidneys and other organs, reducing the risks after surgery. Recovery is faster and most patients return to normal activities sooner.
With beating heart surgery (also known as “off-pump” bypass surgery) surgeons can perform multiple bypass grafts on all areas of the heart at the same time. What this means is, the surgeon can perform a triple (three bypass grafts), quadruple (four bypass grafts) or more bypass all off-pump.
What risks are associated with the heart-lung machine?
Several studies have shown that patients who are treated with traditional bypass surgery using a heart-lung machine may suffer an increased risk of stroke, kidney failure, memory loss and blood transfusions. Beating heart bypass surgery significantly reduces those risks. Plus, multiple studies have shown that off-pump surgery results in shorter hospital stays, shorter time spent on a ventilator and less blood loss.
How is beating-heart surgery performed?
Highly specialized instruments stabilize small portions of the heart during surgery, enabling the surgeon to repair the blocked coronary arteries and restore blood flow. The remainder of the heart continues to beat normally, exposing the body to far less trauma than traditional bypass surgery.
Is beating heart bypass surgery right for everyone?
Our philosophy is that anyone requiring heart bypass surgery is a candidate for beating heart surgery. You and your doctor will discuss whether beating heart surgery is appropriate for you. The decision depends on your overall health, the severity of your coronary artery disease, the number of arteries requiring bypass and other factors. If you choose to have the surgery, it is important to ask how experienced your cardiac surgeon is in doing this type of surgery.
Union Memorial is the most experienced site in the region for beating heart surgery. We have been at the forefront of performing the procedure since it was first introduced, and our cardiac surgeons have performed more than 2,500 procedures over the past five years.
More than 87 percent of bypass surgeries at Union Memorial are performed on a beating heart. No hospital in Maryland performs more beating heart bypasses than Union Memorial.
How do I found out more?
To learn about the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Heart Institute at Union Memorial Hospital, and if beating heart bypass surgery is right for you, call us at 410-554-2266.
Contact the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Heart Institute by calling 1-877-744-3278 or requesting an appointment.
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