Open heart surgery is any surgery where the chest is opened and surgery is done on the heart muscle, valves, arteries, or other parts of the heart (such as the aorta). The term “open” means that the chest is “cut” open.
The definition of open heart surgery has become confusing because new procedures are being done on the heart through smaller cuts. Some new procedures are being done with the heart still beating.
Open heart surgery is a surgery that takes a blood vessel from somewhere else in the body and uses it to bypass a vessel in the heart that has become damaged and blocked. This improves the blood supply to the heart and thus improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle.
In most cases, this improvement in blood supply will help relieve many symptoms that you may be currently experiencing, including chest pain, pressure, or tightness.
The goal of open heart surgery is to take a blood vessel from somewhere else in your body and use it to bypass a vessel in your heart that has become damaged and blocked. During this surgery, each of your blocked coronary arteries will be carefully inspected, and your surgeon will determine the ideal place to attach the new vessel or vessels. In most cases, the vessel will be sewn into an area below the blockage, and then into a location in the aorta. Open heart surgery is performed in the hospital, and the average hospital stay is four to seven days.