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.

Receipt of ventricular assist devices associated with poor outcomes, high costs

Medicare patients who receive ventricular assist devices (a type of heart pump) have high rates of death, illness, prolonged hospital stays, with resulting high costs of care, according to a study in the November 26 issue of JAMA.

25 Nov 2008

Angioplasty safer in community hospitals when team has more experience

Heart experts at Johns Hopkins have evidence that life-saving coronary angioplasty at community hospitals is safer when physicians and hospital staff have more experience with the procedure.

12 Nov 2008

Cardiopulmonary bypass for child heart surgery does not affect IQ

The use of cardiopulmonary bypass does not cause short-term neurological problems in children and teenagers after surgery for less complex heart defects, according to pediatric researchers.

11 Nov 2008

Medtronic announces U.S. trial data on transcatheter valve for congenital heart disease

Today at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association, the first U.S. clinical trial data on the Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve were presented. These findings also represent the first U.S. data on transcatheter valves in a population with congenital heart disease and the first reported U.S. data on the use of a transcatheter valve in the pulmonary position. The Melody valve is currently investigational in the U.S.

10 Nov 2008

Researchers downplay value of mandatory universal nasal screening of patients for MRSA

Three Virginia Commonwealth University epidemiologists are downplaying the value of mandatory universal nasal screening of patients for MRSA, arguing that proven, hospital-wide infection control practices can prevent more of the potentially fatal infections.

23 Oct 2008

Medicare stops paying for 10 reasonably preventable medical errors

Medicare starting Wednesday will no longer pay hospitals for additional care resulting from "reasonably preventable" errors, the New York Times reports.

5 Oct 2008

Graphic picture warnings to persuade Brits to quit smoking

A nationwide campaign in Britain to get people to quit smoking will be dramatically hiked up this week.

29 Sep 2008

Newly discovered molecule promises better treatments for heart attacks, heart surgery

Scientists have discovered a compound that could lead to new treatments for heart attacks as well as methods to protect hearts during open heart surgery and other situations in which blood flow to the heart is interrupted.

11 Sep 2008

Infectious heart disease death rates rising again say scientists

Infectious heart disease is still a major killer in spite of improvements in health care, but the way the disease develops has changed so much since its discovery that nineteenth century doctors would not recognise it, scientists heard today (Thursday 11 September 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin.

10 Sep 2008

Results from the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in aortic stenosis study

The SEAS (Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis) study has investigated the effects of intensive cholesterol lowering with the combination of simvastatin (40 mg daily) and ezetimibe (10 mg daily) in patients with aortic stenosis.

2 Sep 2008

Researchers say heart bypass a better option than drug-eluting stents

Major clinical research has found that for many patients with clogged arteries, bypass surgery is a better option than drug-eluting stents.

2 Sep 2008

Tiny, easy to insert heart pump aids critically ill patients

Cardiologists from the Heart Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have added the world's smallest heart pump to their arsenal to help critically ill heart patients who are in advanced cardiac failure or shock. The device works by temporarily taking over the pumping function of the heart and providing time needed to initiate lifesaving interventions.

12 Aug 2008

New 'Cardiomobile' monitoring system

Dr Charles Worringham of Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation said the unique 'Cardiomobile' monitoring system, developed by Gold Coast company Alive Technologies, was being further developed and trialled together with QUT under an ARC Linkage Grant.

17 Jul 2008

Novel approach shows potential to become an emergency treatment for heart attack patients

Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have manipulated cell activity that occurs during the interruption of blood flow to strongly protect heart tissue in animal studies. The finding has the potential to become an emergency treatment for heart attack patients, particularly since already existing drugs might be pressed into service to produce the protective effects.

10 Jul 2008

Disruption of blood sugar levels after heart surgery is common

A study reveals today that inadequate blood sugar control in patients having heart surgery is associated with a four fold increase in post-surgery death and major complications - and that the blood sugar disturbances occur in patients with and without diabetes.

7 Jul 2008

HealthGrades releases Fifth Annual HealthGrades Women's Health in American Hospitals study

Large variations among hospitals persist in the quality of maternity and cardiac care for women, according to a new study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

24 Jun 2008

BHF Help a Heart Campaign aims to raise £1.5 million pounds in June to achieve pioneering heart research solutions

British Heart Foundation (BHF) researchers Dr Elinor Griffiths and Dr Andy James and the rest of the team at the Bristol Heart Institute joined up with BHF fundraisers Paul Bancroft and Lucy Culverhouse to launch the BHF Help a Heart Campaign in Bristol this week (Monday 9 June) at Bristol University.

11 Jun 2008

Having heart surgery? Watch your blood sugar

Nearly half of all heart surgery patients may experience blood sugar levels high enough to require temporary insulin treatment after their operation, even though they've never had diabetes, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.

10 Jun 2008

Study identifies most costly adverse events in children's hospitals

A large study of health records from 38 American children's hospitals has measured adverse events that most increase length of stay and overall cost. The researchers say their findings provide useful targets for hospital programs aimed at preventing harm to young patients.

2 Jun 2008

NewYork-Presbyterian ranks top in U.S. News children's hospital survery

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is the only New York hospital to rank in all seven clinical areas reported in the 2008 U.S.News & World Report "America's Best Children's Hospitals" issue. The Hospital also ranks among the top 10 nationally in three categories: Neonatal Care (#4), Heart & Heart Surgery (#6) and Digestive Disorders (#8).

30 May 2008