We are proud to announce the first 3 OPEN HEART SURGERIES at St. Nicholas Hospital.
The procedure was successful and the patients have long since been discharged and they are recuperating absolutely well. Here are some of the reasons why heart surgeons perform Open Heart Surgery;
- To repair or replace heart valves; The heart valves prevent the back flow of blood inside the heart when the heart is pumping, and allow blood to travel through the heart
- To repair damaged or abnormal areas of the heart
- To implant medical devices that help the heart beat properly
- To replace a damaged heart with a donated heart (heart transplantation)
- To repair damaged blood vessels of the heart.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)
There are three main types of cardiovascular disease (CVD):
- Stroke
- Coronary heart disease
- Heart failure
A lot a people think that cardiovascular disease is more likely to be associated with men; however, one type of CVD, coronary artery disease, causes more deaths in women than men.
CVD can occur at any age. However, for most women, the risk of developing CVD increases significantly around menopause.
There is no one cause for CVD, but there are many causes that increase risk of developing CVD. Some risk factors cannot be modified such as age, gender or family history but risk factors that can be reduced through lifestyle modification include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and diabetes.
Coronary heart disease occurs when the blood vessels that provide blood and oxygen to the heart muscle become narrow and hard. This is often called “hardening of the arteries.”
Hardening occurs when fatty material forms a plaque on the walls of the coronary arteries. This plaque narrows the arteries, making it difficult for blood to get through. When blood can’t flow properly to the heart, a heart attack may occur.
Heart health can be improved by eating a healthy diet, cutting back on foods high in salt, fat, and sugar, leading a more active lifestyle, not smoking, controlling high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Open-heart surgery may be done to perform a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG). A coronary artery bypass graft may be necessary for people with coronary heart disease.