Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Cardiovascular surgery

Cardiovascular surgery is surgery on the heart or blood vessels to repair damage caused by diseases of the cardiovascular system. Some of the common types of cardiovascular surgery are open-heart surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, heart transplant and minimally invasive surgery. A cardiovascular surgeon may operate to treat:

• coronary artery diseases
• blockage in the heart valve(s)
• leaking heart valve(s)
• aneurysms of the large arteries
• heart failure
• atrial fibrillation

Thoracic surgery involves organs in of the chest but excludes the heart and great vessels. The organs treated in thoracic surgery include lungs, oesophagus, trachea and the chest wall.

Thoracic surgery addresses various types of conditions such as:

• lung cancer
• tumours and benign growths in the lungs
• oesophageal cancer
• achalasia
• gastroesophageal reflux
• mesothelioma
• lung infections
• chest reconstruction after major trauma or surgery
• hyperhidrosis
• pleural diseases
• lung transplantation for end-stage diseases of the lung
• tracheal resection or stent insertion for airway narrowing