Heart Surgery News and Research

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Heart surgery is done to correct problems with the heart. More than half a million heart surgeries are done each year in the United States for a variety of heart problems. Heart surgery is used to correct heart problems in children and adults. This article discusses heart surgeries for adults. For more information about heart surgeries for children, see the Diseases and Conditions Index articles on congenital heart defects, holes in the heart, and tetralogy of Fallot.

The most common type of heart surgery for adults is coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). During CABG, surgeons use healthy arteries or veins taken from another part of the body to bypass (that is, go around) blocked arteries. CABG relieves chest pain and reduces the risk of heart attack.

Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve brings new hope to congenital heart patients

Many adult congenital heart patients have undergone multiple heart surgeries by the time they reach their 20s. Each time surgeons operate on the heart, the risk of complications increases.

25 Jun 2013

Somerset Medical Center to merge with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Somerset Medical Center's Board of Trustees announced today that the medical center will pursue a merger with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

21 Jun 2013

Clinical study shows that clopidogrel not effective in infants with congenital heart diseases

One of the largest clinical trials done in infants with congenital (present at birth) heart diseases, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that the increasingly common practice of using the drug clopidogrel (Plavix-) to reduce shunt-related blood flow issues is not effective in the dose studied.

21 Jun 2013

New treatment option for patients with aortic stenosis

Robert Stoler, MD, FACC, FSCAI, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital and co-medical director, Division of Cardiology, is leading Baylor's participation in an exciting clinical trial to research a new treatment option for AS patients.

From Medtronic 21 Jun 2013

Sorin Group announces CE mark approval, launch of REPLY 200 family of pacemakers with SAM

Sorin Group, a global medical company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced today CE mark approval and the European commercial launch of the REPLY 200 family of pacemakers featuring Sleep Apnea Monitoring.

18 Jun 2013

Seven SynCardia Certified Centers ranked among nation's Best Children's Hospitals

SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE (Europe) approved Total Artificial Heart, announced today that U.S. News & World Report has named seven SynCardia Certified Centers among the nation's "Best Children's Hospitals" for cardiology and heart surgery in its annual rankings for 2013-2014.

13 Jun 2013

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital earns top ranking

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital ranks among the nation's best children's hospitals in nine specialties and is one of the top-ranked centers in California, according to the 2013-14 Best Children's Hospitals survey conducted by the U.S. News Media Group.

12 Jun 2013

C.S. Mott Children's Hospital ranked among nation's best children's hospitals

The University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is among the best children's hospitals in the country in pediatric specialties and is the only hospital in Michigan ranked in all 10 specialties evaluated, according to the U.S. News & World Report's 2013-14 Best Children's Hospitals rankings.

12 Jun 2013

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota honored as 2013-2014 Best Children's Hospital

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota has been honored by U.S. News & World Report as a 2013-2014 Best Children's Hospital. Children's has been ranked on the list every year since the program's inception in 2007.

11 Jun 2013

UCLA performs pulse oximetry tests for newborn babies to detect CCHD

Before he was discharged from UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, baby Gaël Villegas received the standard panel of newborn screenings to check for genetic and metabolic diseases and hearing. The results showed a healthy baby.

6 Jun 2013

Low mortality hospitals appear better able to treat life-threatening complications

Hospitals with low rates of patient mortality appear better able to rescue patients from complications following cardiac surgery, according to a study published in the June 2013 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

31 May 2013

Extremely low doses of THC protect the brain from long-term cognitive damage

Though marijuana is a well-known recreational drug, extensive scientific research has been conducted on the therapeutic properties of marijuana in the last decade. Medical cannabis is often used by sufferers of chronic ailments, including cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder, to combat pain, insomnia, lack of appetite, and other symptoms.

31 May 2013

Researchers develop new guidelines to govern amount of blood ordered for surgical patients

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed new guidelines - the first in more than 35 years - to govern the amount of blood ordered for surgical patients.

23 May 2013

ECMO may show promise as rescue strategy for select cardiac arrest patients

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a procedure traditionally used during cardiac surgeries and in the ICU that functions as an artificial replacement for a patient's heart and lungs, has also been used to resuscitate cardiac arrest victims in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

17 May 2013

Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation honors Beaumont cardiologist for improving health care in Michigan

Kavitha Chinnaiyan, M.D., director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging Education at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, has received the Frank J. McDevitt, D.O., Award for Excellence in Health Policy Research for Physicians.

14 May 2013

More than 80% of parents, grandparents prefer hospital that does medical research about children: Study

Four out of five parents and grandparents in Michigan say they'd rather take children to a hospital that does medical research for children than one that does not, according to a new poll from the University of Michigan.

14 May 2013

Sorin Group receives FDA approval for SMARTVIEW remote monitoring solution

Sorin Group, a global medical company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, today announced it received FDA approval for and is beginning the U.S. launch of the SMARTVIEW remote monitoring solution for patients with implanted cardiac rhythm management devices.

13 May 2013

New British technologies are transforming healthcare and saving lives

Innovative projects including: smart-phone test and tracking systems for infectious diseases; fibre optic probes that can monitor people's condition in intensive care; and in-home sensors that can relay patient information to doctors immediately, have benefitted from a -32 million investment.

10 May 2013

Nutritional supplement may improve survival rates of babies born with heart defects

A common nutritional supplement may be part of the magic in improving the survival rates of babies born with heart defects, researchers report. Carnitine, a compound that helps transport fat inside the cell powerhouse where it can be used for energy production, is currently used for purposes ranging from weight loss to chest pain.