by DrCiuffo | Sep 4, 2019 | Coronary Surgery, Articles, Blog, Dr. Giovanni B Ciuffo, Heart Health, Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Heart Surgeons, Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery, Recovery, Uncategorized
Heart surgery is one of the most sophisticated and complex types of surgery. It is demanding and requires an excellent team of physicians, assistants, and support personnel. Minimally invasive heart surgery significantly decreases the amount of trauma and damage to the patient and makes for a much easier recovery. What is Bloodless Heart Surgery? Related to advances in heart surgery, bloodless surgery has made great strides since the 1990s. Instead of using transfusions to replace blood lost during surgery, great efforts are made to reduce bleeding during surgery and harmonic scalpels clot blood while cutting tissue. Hemostatics stop bleeding before, during, and after surgery. Bleeding vessels can be sealed by an argon beam coagulator. Also, what blood is lost during the procedure is collected and returned to the patient’s circulatory system. Bloodless surgery avoids complications of transfusion, including disease (negligible risk), depression of immune system function, allergic reaction to additives in stored blood, and inflammatory response. Avoiding transfusions can make for a better recovery after heart surgery. Combining minimal blood loss with minimally invasive heart surgery can give excellent results for recovery, even with elderly or frail patients, who would have been a poor risk with earlier kinds of techniques. Still, the doctor’s skill and experience are important factors in how well the surgery, and the recovery, go. Does This Surgery Cause Scarring? Usually, minimally invasive heart surgery is done with a two-inch incision between the ribs. So, unlike earlier versions of heart surgery, bones do not have to be broken to gain access to the heart. Given time after surgery, the scar can fade to where it is... by DrCiuffo | Aug 3, 2019 | Coronary Surgery, Articles, Blog, Dr. Giovanni B Ciuffo, Heart Health, Heart Surgery
Although some have described cardiac surgery as a dying specialty, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Cardiac surgery today is seeing astronomical growth with innovations in minimally invasive procedures. Therefore, cardiac surgery is not sliding into obsolescence; it’s simply becoming safer and less invasive. One area of cardiac surgery – coronary artery bypass – has seen significant growth in the past decade. From minimally invasive procedures to hybrid revascularization, coronary bypass surgery is becoming increasingly safer and more effective. It is also becoming far less painful and time-consuming than open-heart coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). A Bit of History In the 1950s, the advent of cardiopulmonary bypass was revolutionary for the field of cardiac surgery. The first successful open heart surgery utilizing a heart-lung machine was performed in 1953. The heart-lung machine – also known as a “pump” – allows for the heart to be stopped during surgery, as it circulates and oxygenates blood for the surgeon to work on a still heart that is empty of blood. However, what seemed to be an unending supply of patients contributed to what may have been innovative complacency. In due time, this self-assurance was shattered by the advent of percutaneous coronary intervention (non-surgical procedures that improve cardiac blood flow). These procedures were able to provide the same effects as CABG and greatly reduced the volume of coronary artery bypass surgeries. It also resulted in a decline in trainees in the field. These advances have been largely consumer-driven by a society that’s always on the go, so less invasive procedures mean faster recovery times. Coronary Bypass Surgery Today While the... by DrCiuffo | Mar 15, 2019 | Coronary Surgery, Articles, Blog, Dr. Giovanni B Ciuffo, Heart Health, Heart Surgery, Minimally Invasive Heart Surgeons, Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery, Uncategorized
Minimally invasive heart surgeons perform procedures that cause less trauma and pain, resulting in quicker recovery times compared to open-heart surgery. These surgeons perform procedures using small incisions in your chest as a safer alternative to open-heart surgery. Rather than having to cut through your breastbone, minimally invasive heart surgeon qualifications allow them to operate between the ribs, resulting in less pain and faster recovery time. In fact, surgeons sometimes have a better view of certain areas of the heart than with open-heart surgery. The vast majority of minimally invasive procedures don’t require the surgeon to stop your heart. How do I know if I’m a good candidate for a minimally invasive heart procedure? Depending on various personal factors, minimally invasive surgery might be the perfect option for you. Other benefits may include: Lower risk of infections Less blood loss Reduced pain and trauma Shorter hospital or clinic stay Smaller and less noticeable scars It’s also very important that your minimally invasive surgeon strives for cohesion and clear, open communication within his team. It’s vital that the team knows your specific needs and whether or not minimally invasive surgery is for you. In addition, you want your heart specialists to exhibit those same characteristics with all your other healthcare providers. Other Preparation? Make sure you’ve had a recent physical examination, with a complete review of your medical history and blood analysis. There is a chance you may have to get your procedure done at a medical center. This decision is based on your physicians’ and specialists’ evaluation of your condition. What kind of minimally invasive heart procedures are available?... by DrCiuffo | Oct 31, 2014 | Blog, Coronary Surgery, Heart Surgery, Inoperable Coronary Disease
Inoperable Coronary Patient The two most important questions asked by an inoperable coronary patient: What makes a coronary patient inoperable? How can we improve on our surgical solutions to save the life of an inoperable coronary patient? Once you know the basic technical challenges, inoperable coronary patients will understand the solutions we have developed in these surgery cases. New technologies have made the difference for so many heart patients that were otherwise hopeless and inoperable. A coronary artery bypass operation clears the pathway for blood on blocked coronary arteries. A pathway is directly connected between the aorta and a spot on the coronary artery downstream from where the blockage occurs. If steps in this surgical process can’t be carried out within certain standards, your local doctor may not be able to offer you this life-saving operation, referring to this as, “inoperable”. That’s where we come in. Solutions for Inoperable Coronary Patients If the aorta is heavily calcified: We re-route the blood supply through internal mammary arteries avoiding “cracking”. If there are not enough veins or arteries: We can graft, harvest, and replace new perfectly healthy tissues from elsewhere. If the coronary vessels are too severely and diffusely diseased: We can double graft the tissue to eliminate blockages or use a technology called endoarterectomy where we remove plaque from clogged tissue. If the patient is deemed to old or fragile: We believe that age, frailty should not determine your quality of life or your medical choices! If the patient has patient has bad lungs, bad kidneys, bad liver and/or has had a prior open heart operation: We use beating heart...
