Heart Surgery News and Research

RSS

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.

New biocompatible patch can repair congenital heart defects

A painstaking effort to create a biocompatible patch to heal infant hearts is paying off at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital.

13 Dec 2012

CINJ urologic oncology chief completes 1,000th robotic prostatectomy at RWJUH

Marking a major milestone in what has become a fast-growing standard of care in prostate cancer surgery, the chief of urologic oncology at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey has completed his 1,000th robotic prostatectomy at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), the Flagship Hospital of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, which is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

6 Dec 2012

Children's Hospital Los Angeles earns Top Hospital designation from Leapfrog Group

For the fourth consecutive year, Children's Hospital Los Angeles has earned the Top Hospital designation from The Leapfrog Group, which annually recognizes the best hospitals in the nation for providing the safest and highest quality health care services to patients. Children's Hospital Los Angeles is one of only 12 children's hospitals nationally to receive this honor and was the only children's hospital in California to earn the top award.

4 Dec 2012

The Leapfrog Group honors Northwestern Memorial and Lake Forest with 'A' Hospital Safety Score

Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital have been selected as 2012 Top Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group, an organization that provides the only national, public comparison of hospitals across safety, quality and efficiency dimensions. Northwestern Memorial and Northwestern Lake Forest are honored among an elite group of only 92 hospitals selected out of nearly 1,200 surveyed.

4 Dec 2012

Respiratory physical therapy before cardiac surgery may reduce serious pulmonary complications

Patients who practice respiratory physical therapy exercises before elective cardiac surgery may reduce serious pulmonary complications later, finds a new evidence review from The Cochrane Library.

30 Nov 2012

Coronary artery bypass grafting safe for dialysis patients

Among the two available procedures for opening blocked arteries surrounding the heart, one appears to be safer than the other for dialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

30 Nov 2012

Loyola receives $60,666 American Heart Association grant for cardiac research

The American Heart Association has awarded Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine $60,666 for cardiac research in 2012, bringing the lifetime total the AHA has awarded to Loyola to more than $10 million.

29 Nov 2012

New heart valve procedure saves life of 94-year old with aortic stenosis

94-year old Santa Monica resident Vivian Valentine has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. A new life-saving heart valve procedure done without traditional open heart surgery has given her a new lease on life.

20 Nov 2012

St. Luke's unveils Discovery IGS 730 Hybrid OR from GE Healthcare

St. Luke's University Hospital unveiled the Discovery IGS 730 Hybrid OR from GE Healthcare today, becoming the first hospital in the United States to offer this exciting new technology.

17 Nov 2012

Researchers develop catheter that can perform triple-duty during cardiac ablation surgery

Researchers at the McCormick School of Engineering are part of a team that has used stretchable electronics to create a multipurpose medical catheter that can both monitor heart functions and perform corrections on heart tissue during surgery.

16 Nov 2012

CHOP presents new findings on pediatric cardiovascular disease at AHA 2012

Physician-researchers from the Cardiac Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia presented new findings on pediatric cardiovascular disease at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012 in Los Angeles.

9 Nov 2012

Researchers discover cellular pathway that causes lung-damaging inflammation in CF

Vancouver researchers have discovered the cellular pathway that causes lung-damaging inflammation in cystic fibrosis (CF), and that reducing the pathway's activity also decreases inflammation.

8 Nov 2012

Mass. adopts stricter rules, penalties for compounding pharmacies

The emergency regulations will allow the state to monitor contamination and the volume of medicines being made.

3 Nov 2012

Toilet training method not related to urinary accidents in children

Parents: stop worrying about which toilet training method to use - where urinary accidents in children are concerned, it doesn't matter. This clearly-stated message, published today in Clinical Pediatrics by physician researchers from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, emphasizes that the method of training chosen by parents is not the cause of urinary accidents in children.

3 Nov 2012

FDA expands approved indication for Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approved indication for the Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) to include patients with aortic valve stenosis who are eligible for surgery, but who are at high risk for serious surgical complications or death.

20 Oct 2012

Morton Plant first hospital in the Tampa Bay area to perform transapical TAVR

Morton Plant Hospital is the first hospital in the Tampa Bay area to perform Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) by the transapical approach. Transapical TAVR is the latest FDA-approved treatment for people suffering from severe aortic stenosis.

20 Oct 2012

Additional drugs linked to meningitis outbreak

Food and Drug Administration officials said Monday that more people may be at risk as a result of contaminated drugs made by a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy.

17 Oct 2012

UK HealthCare's Gill Heart Institute cardiologists perform TAVR procedures

Interventional cardiologists at UK HealthCare's Gill Heart Institute have successfully performed the facility's first two transcatheter aortic valve replacements.

17 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 16, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a study regarding the possible impact of premium support on Medicare premiums.

16 Oct 2012

Duke researchers develop new 3-D tool for heart surgery

A team of researchers from Duke University speaking at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2012 annual meeting revealed the development of a new 3-D tool that enables trainees in transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to have real-time instruction in obtaining and interpreting high-quality images of the heart and major vessels - and it's all just a finger swipe away on your Apple iPad.

15 Oct 2012