Understanding heart surgery procedures

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One of the primary concerns after Open Heart Surgery is the stability of the sternum, also called the breastbone, which is divided during surgery so that the Cardiac Surgeon has access to the heart. The sternum is now a broken bone. The sugeon will typically place 4-8 surgical wire figure 8 loops through the sternum to re-join the bone. However, the bone will not be fully healed for 6 weeks. It is crucial that the patient does not move in way which strains the sternum while it is healing…

The procedure used to treat arrhythmias typically allows for a short recovery time, but precautions are necessary to preserve healthy heart function.

Get six recovery tips for patients preparing for heart valve repair or heart valve replacement procedures from Adam Pick, founder of HeartValveSurgery.com.

Mick Jagger's heart surgery is known as ‘aortic valve replacement’. In some people, as in this case, the valve can become tight over time.

After open-heart, and open-chest, surgery there are definitely some physical limitations for your little one: No tummy time, no picking up from under arms, no pulling on arms. Here are some items and activities your baby can enjoy after heart surgery.

If you don’t know, Charlie had heart surgery when he was 7 weeks old to repair a VSD, you can read his story here. Today marks 4 years post-surgery. Some of it I remember like it was yesterday and some of it seems like a giant blur that I don't remember at all. When you

This is the final post on the open heart surgery series. If you want to look back at the others, here are the links: Series: Open H...

Arteries can become clogged over time by the buildup of fatty plaque. Bypass surgery improves the blood flow to the heart with a new route or "bypass" around a section of clogged or diseased artery.