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.

Muscle matters: Simple scan could predict heart surgery risks

Around one in four heart surgery patients develop serious lung complications – but a new Adelaide-led study is testing a simple bedside scan that could predict who is most at risk before symptoms appear.

2 Sep 2026

Left atrial appendage closure benefits only high-risk cardiac surgery patients

Results do not support routine closure of the left atrial appendage in all patients undergoing open-heart surgery but those at high stroke risk may benefit.

31 Aug 2026

Investigational anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody achieves durable inflammatory biomarker reductions

The investigational anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) monoclonal antibody pacibekitug produced sustained reductions in inflammation-related biomarkers through six months in patients with chronic kidney disease and elevated inflammatory risk associated with heart disease.

29 Aug 2026

Intravenous iron before heart surgery cuts transfusion needs

Giving intravenous iron to patients with anemia before heart surgery reduces the need for a red blood transfusion and results in an extra day at home in the first 90 days after surgery, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today.

19 Aug 2026

New lab-grown heart valves advance treatments for childhood heart diseases

Melbourne researchers have created human heart valve tissues from stem cells, providing a powerful new platform to advance treatments for childhood heart diseases.

11 Aug 2026

Harvard bioengineers develop a way to quickly create customizable blood vessel grafts

Traumatic injuries, whether on a battlefield or in a car accident, often involve damaged blood vessels that require immediate repair.

29 Jul 2026

Landmark study confirms long-term durability of Ross procedure for aortic valve replacement

The Ross procedure, a highly specialized option for aortic valve replacement, is associated with significant long-term durability and excellent outcomes in a wide range of adult patients with aortic valve disease.

23 Jun 2026

Patient intuition leads to urgent open-heart surgery at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn

Shana Hale, a Brooklyn mother of two and a technology executive, noticed a mild burning sensation in her chest during her daily walks last summer.

20 May 2026

Email alerts boost valve replacement rates in older patients with aortic stenosis

New data finds older patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) were more likely to receive aortic valve replacement (AVR) and survive when clinicians received automated email notifications with abnormal heart ultrasound results detecting AS.

25 Apr 2026

Many heart scans fail to provide clear diagnostic results

Thousands of patients sent for vital heart scans may be undergoing unnecessary first-line tests that fail to deliver clear answers - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

23 Apr 2026

Google search trends reflect a shift toward minimally invasive heart care

New research found that public interest in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) increased substantially over the last decade, with Google search volume rising by 340% from 2015 to 2025, while searches for SAVR (Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement) declined by 42%.

23 Apr 2026

Mount Sinai launches Adams Valve Institute for advanced heart care

The Mount Sinai Health System today announced the launch of the Adams Valve Institute, a new global center dedicated to advancing comprehensive care and surgical techniques for patients with heart valve disease.

7 Apr 2026

Transcatheter valve-in-valve procedure improves short-term outcomes in high-risk patients

In patients with a poorly functioning bioprosthetic mitral valve in the heart, a minimally invasive procedure to insert a new valve was associated with a lower rate of death or disabling stroke within one year, compared with patients who underwent standard repeat mitral valve replacement surgery, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

29 Mar 2026

Hypercortisolism found in many patients with resistant hypertension

The MOMENTUM study found 27 percent of patients with resistant hypertension have hypercortisolism. This is a significant finding, demonstrating that hypercortisolism is more common in these patients than previously understood by researchers and clinicians.

28 Mar 2026

Microaxial flow pump fails to reduce heart damage in STEMI trial

Using a microaxial flow pump prior to and during cardiac stenting procedures for patients with severe heart attacks who don't have cardiogenic shock does not significantly reduce heart damage.

28 Mar 2026

Researchers use AI to reveal the true scale of COVID-19 mortality in the US

A machine learning model applied to US death certificate data estimated that over 155,000 COVID-19 deaths were unrecognized between March 2020 and December 2021, suggesting total mortality was about 19% higher than official counts. These undercounted deaths disproportionately affected marginalized populations, including racial minorities, lower-income groups, and residents of the Southern United States.

19 Mar 2026

Brain connectivity differences found in infants with congenital heart disease

The prevalence of congenital heart disease points to the need for a better understanding of how it influences neurodevelopment. New in JNeurosci, Jung-Hoon Kim and Catherine Limperopoulos, from Children's National Hospital, led a study examining brain network disruptions that may be linked to congenital heart disease.

9 Mar 2026

3D-printed model offers chance for surgeons to rehearse heart surgeries

Washington State University researchers have developed a 3D-printed model of the left side of the heart that contracts and beats, offering the chance for surgeons and medical students to rehearse important heart surgeries on a model that acts like the real thing.

4 Mar 2026

Study supports safe same-day discharge following TAVI procedures

With careful selection, same-day hospital discharge was found to be feasible and safe in around one-fifth of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in a study presented today at the EAPCI Summit 2026.

19 Feb 2026

Influenza viruses can directly impair heart function

Mount Sinai researchers have identified a cellular mechanism linking infections from influenza A viruses (IAVs) to cardiovascular disease, providing critical insights on how influenza can damage the heart and increase the risk of a heart attack or other major cardiovascular event.

9 Feb 2026