Cardiac Surgery

Trusted Heart Surgery Services in Arcadia

Though less-invasive treatments have come a long way, Heart surgery is still sometimes necessary to treat cardiovascular disease. The cardiology experts at USC Arcadia Hospital are skilled and experienced in a wide array of cardiac surgeries. Though surgery can be frightening, our staff will guide you through this process to build your confidence and put you and your family at ease. Our hospital is recognized as one of the safest hospitals in the U.S. by numerous organizations, so you can trust that you or your loved one will be in good hands during the procedure.

Below you will find an overview of some common cardiac procedures and how they are performed at USC Arcadia Hospital.

Minimally Invasive Open-Heart Procedures

Though open-heart surgery is sometimes required to treat cardiovascular conditions, our cardiothoracic surgeons make use of the latest medical advances to make even these procedures as minimally invasive as possible. Many of our open-heart procedures are performed using the "off-pump." This acts as a replacement for the heart-lung machine that allows patients to have breathing tubes removed sooner, improving comfort and speeding the recovery process.

Our team also makes use of a minimally invasive procedure to remove leg veins that can be used in the heart. Traditionally, this procedure has required surgeons to cut open a patient's leg to access the vein, but our team makes use of a safe, cutting-edge technique that only requires a few strategic incisions to facilitate the removal.

Atrial Fibrillation Surgery

Have you recently noticed your heart beating more rapidly? This may be an indicator that you are at risk of a serious heart complication. Atrial fibrillation is an irregularity in your heart's electrical activity that causes an irregular heartbeat and impedes the heart's ability to pump blood. You may not have many symptoms of AFib until a cardiac event occurs, but keep an eye out for:

• Lightheadedness
• Chest pain
• Rapid heartbeat and random intervals
• Pumping feeling in the chest
• Shortness of breath
• Reduced ability to exercise

There are a few procedures that treat AFib. One is a pacemaker implant, wherein a small device is placed under the skin near the heart to release electrical signals whenever it detects an irregular heartbeat. Another common procedure is ablation surgery. These are minimally invasive procedures where a catheter is inserted through the throat or groin and emits radio waves to destroy damaged scar tissue.

Artery Plaque Removal

Clogged arteries are the result of plaque build in blood vessels. As arterial plaque builds up it increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiac events. Plaque is created from various substances like cholesterol and fat. It lines the walls of your arteries and reduces bloods ability to flow freely, forcing the heart to work harder. This condition is called atherosclerosis.

Cardiologists have come up with a number of operations that can remove arterial plaque and widen the arteries.

The following are some procedures used to remove arterial plaque:

• Angioplasty - In this operation, a thin tube with a small balloon at the tip is placed in inserted into the artery. The balloon is inflated to force the artery to widen. Angioplasty is often accompanied with stenting.
• Bypass Surgery - When an artery is damaged beyond repair, a doctor may use bypass surgery to redirect blood flow through a healthy artery.
• Laser Angioplasty - This is similar to balloon angioplasty, except instead of forcing an artery to widen a small laser destroys arterial plaque to get the blood flowing freely again.

More on Heart Surgery

There are several other forms of heart surgery your doctor may recommend for you condition. At USC Arcadia Hospital, our staff will be happy to answer any of your questions about various procedures. Simply knowing more about an operation can help increase your confidence and reduce anxiety.

For more information on our Cardiology Program, contact our team directly at 626-898-8845.