Why Do I Need Surgery?

Heart surgeons do heart surgery to treat conditions that can’t be fixed any other way. Sometimes making lifestyle changes and taking medication can fix heart problems. Sometimes those things are not enough or aren’t an option. Your doctor will recommend heart surgery if it’s the best option for you.

Different kinds of heart surgery fix different things.

A coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), commonly known as a “cabbage,” is the most common type of heart surgery. Doctors do a CABG to make a new pathway for blood to flow to your heart.

Doctors also use heart surgery to repair or replace heart valves. Heart valves are one-way doors that help keep your blood flowing in the right direction. Another common heart procedure is called an aortic aneurysm repair. Doctors do this procedure to fix the aorta, which is the largest blood vessel in your body. Blood vessels are the flexible tubes that carry blood throughout your body.

Heart surgery can also help treat an arrhythmia. This is when your heart beats too fast, too slow, or in an irregular rhythm. If that happens, your heart may not be able to pump enough blood to your body.

If you have any questions about your particular surgery, you can always ask someone on your care team.