Open Heart Surgery: Procedure, Risks & Benefits

Open heart surgery is a traditional heart surgery procedure that involves opening the chest to access the heart for repair. A heart-lung machine is used to maintain oxygenation and blood circulation. At the same time, the heart surgeon temporarily stops the heart to carry out the repair job and make other surgical interventions.

“Open heart surgery is the earliest developed surgical approach widely used for decades. Despite the emergence of advanced minimally invasive heart surgery procedures, open heart surgery remains a go-to procedure in many cases due to its proven effectiveness, convenience, and versatility in treating a variety of heart ailments”, says leading heart specialist in Hyderabad, Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale.

With his input, in this blog, let us look into the open-heart surgery procedure, its risks and undeniable benefits over other procedures.

Open Heart Surgery – Procedure:

Open-heart surgery, as the name implies, involves opening up the chest cavity to access the heart by making an incision along the sternum.

Meanwhile, the patient is connected to a heart-lung machine, which temporarily takes over heart function, allowing the surgeon to keep the patient’s heart still for the surgical intervention. (Yes, the heart is stopped for a brief time.) Heart surgeons perform the surgical procedure on the still heart, and after completion, the heart is restarted. The chest is then closed, and the patient is monitored in the ICU until appropriate recovery is achieved.

Open Heart Surgery – Risks

Like every surgery, open-heart surgery does carry its share of risks. Risks of infection at the incision site, excessive bleeding, the possibility of blood clots, and heart rhythm problems are some of the common concerns associated with open-heart surgery.

However, the major complaint about open-heart surgery is the long recovery time it may lead to due to the open nature of the procedure and more extensive incisions. Every surgery is associated with risks; what makes them recommended is the benefits offered to the patient in a specific case. Now, let us look at the benefits open-heart surgery provides over other minimally invasive procedures.

Open Heart Surgery – Benefits over Minimally Invasive Procedures

Visibility and Accessibility: 

Due to its inherent nature, open-heart surgery provides direct access to the heart and surrounding muscles, allowing for better visibility that complex procedures demand. The manipulation and repair of tissues require this accessibility, which open-heart surgery provides.

Versatility: 

Because of the unprecedented accessibility and visibility it provides, open-heart surgery is perfect for a wide range of heart surgery procedures. From coronary artery bypass surgeries to the repair of congenital heart defects, valve repair, and replacement, open-heart surgeries offer access to a wide variety of complex procedures that minimally invasive procedures cannot.

Convenience and Easier Access for Multiple Procedures: 

Heart surgeries are complex, and in some cases, patients may need multiple interventions or a combination of procedures. Open-heart surgery, due to its nature, gives surgeons the unique ability to conveniently perform various cardiac procedures simultaneously on a patient.

A Safer Option for Certain High-Risk Patients: 

In a few cases where the patient faces higher risks, open surgery is considered safer than other surgical options like minimally invasive or robotic open-heart surgery.

Established and Proven Techniques:

Open-heart surgeries have been performed for decades, making it the most established area with a well-established success record. Heart specialists and surgeons are highly skilled in these procedures, contributing to the overall success of the surgical procedure.

Open-heart surgery is still a recommended heart surgery procedure due to multiple reasons. However, the decision on the type of surgery needed is always in the hands of a heart specialist. The above information is only for general awareness. We recommend you consult a qualified heart specialist who can provide further information about heart surgeries. If you are in Hyderabad, Dr. Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale is the best heart surgeon in Hyderabad who can assist you. You can contact him here.