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.

Researchers develop new scoring system to screen for dual heart disease

Aortic stenosis is one of the most common heart valve defects. Its prevalence increases with age and it often requires treatment.

24 Nov 2020

Combination of polypill and aspirin can reduce cardiovascular events by up to 40%

Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular incidents can be cut by 20 to 40 per cent through use of a polypill which combines three blood pressure medications and a lipid lowering medication taken alone or with aspirin.

16 Nov 2020

Additional monitoring after cardiac surgery may be needed for patients at risk of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heartbeat that can increase the likelihood of stroke, was detected up to 10 times more frequently in high risk patients recovering from heart surgery who wore a continuous cardiac monitor for a month, compared to patients who had usual follow-up care following their procedure, according to late breaking research presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2020.

16 Nov 2020

Study reveals new source of abnormal lymphatic flow that may account for plastic bronchitis

Interventional radiologists with Nemours Children's Health System have identified a new source of abnormal lymphatic flow between the liver and the lungs that may be responsible for some cases of plastic bronchitis.

11 Nov 2020

Children with Kawasaki Disease at increased risk for cardiovascular events 10 years later

New research shows that children with Kawasaki Disease remain at an increased risk for cardiovascular events more than 10 years after hospitalization for their condition, highlighting the need for long-term heart disease surveillance and risk reduction strategies for these young patients.

6 Nov 2020

Study: Two common methods used to protect the brain during aortic aneurysm repair are equally effective

Two commonly used approaches to protect the brain during surgery to repair an ascending aortic aneurysm are equally effective, according to a review by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers published October 6 in the Journal of Cardiac Surgery.

23 Oct 2020

Women with undiagnosed heart conditions at risk for pregnancy-related aortic dissection

In a time already full of challenges and changes, some pregnant and postpartum women will also experience a rare but dangerous heart complication: an aortic dissection.

14 Oct 2020

Scientists create first atlas of human heart cells

Ka-thump. Ka-thump. Ka-thump. Though we barely notice it most of the time, the steady beating of a human heart is an amazingly complex performance. Like an orchestra, thousands of cells have to master their individual performances as well as work together.

25 Sep 2020

Identifying, preventing and treating drug-induced arrhythmias

Health care professionals should become more familiar with medications that cause irregular heart rhythms called arrhythmias, according to "Drug- Induced Arrhythmias," a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's flagship journal Circulation.

15 Sep 2020

3D-printed organ model can improve surgical outcomes for heart patients

Researchers from the University of Minnesota, with support from Medtronic, have developed a groundbreaking process for multi-material 3D printing of lifelike models of the heart's aortic valve and the surrounding structures that mimic the exact look and feel of a real patient.

28 Aug 2020

AHA statement provides steps for reducing stroke risk in patients undergoing heart surgery

Steps for reducing the risk of stroke in patients undergoing heart surgery are detailed in a new American Heart Association Scientific Statement, "Considerations for Reduction of Risk of Perioperative Stroke for Adult Patients Undergoing Cardiac and Thoracic Aortic Operations," published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

26 Aug 2020

Researchers shed new light on epigenetic changes associated with ADNP syndrome

A study led by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai found that two different blood epigenetic signatures associated with ADNP syndrome (also known as Helsmoortel-Van Der Aa syndrome) have only a modest correlation with clinical manifestations of the syndrome. The study results were published online August 5 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

6 Aug 2020

UT Southwestern Medical Center ranks among the top 50 hospitals

UT Southwestern Medical Center is the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth – the nation's fourth-largest metro area – and ranks among the top 50 hospitals nationally in 10 specialties ranging from brain to heart care, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Hospitals report released today. Six of the specialties rank in the top 25.

28 Jul 2020

Study reveals how overactive immune cells aggravate heart valve disease

A new study using organ-on-a-chip technology reveals how overactive immune cells aggravate heart valve disease and how this damaging hyperactivity could potentially be controlled.

8 Jul 2020

Childhood heart defect increases risk of arrhythmia, heart failure in adulthood

Long-term morbidity as well as a lower level of education and employment rate are common among adults who underwent congenital heart surgery during childhood, regardless of the severity of the defect.

29 Jun 2020

Psychological factors matter more than physical performance for marine training

The United States military has a constant need for service members who can serve in elite and specialized military units, such as the Marine Corps. However, because the training courses for these forces is so rigorous, the dropout rate is high.

26 Jun 2020

Less invasive heart treatment now available to all Australians living with aortic stenosis

All Australians living with symptoms of severe aortic stenosis no longer face open heart surgery as the only treatment option, with public access to a less invasive therapy – previously reserved for only the sickest patients – now available to all Australians requiring treatment.

26 Jun 2020

Study: Nearly 10% of patients continue to use opioids more than 90 days after heart surgery

Nearly 10 percent of patients who are prescribed opioid medications following heart surgery will continue to use opioids more than 90 days after the procedure, according to a new study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

17 Jun 2020

QUT leads study to improve quality of life for children with congenital heart disease

QUT, in partnership with Children’s Health Queensland, will lead a nation-wide study to help health services support the long-term neurodevelopment and quality of life of children with congenital heart disease.

12 Jun 2020

Researchers recommend TEG test to identify undetected blood clots in COVID-19 ICU patients

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine are recommending that all COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU undergo a thromboelastography to test for the risk of forming blood clots.

5 Jun 2020