Cardiovascular Surgery

Cardiovascular Surgery is the branch of medicine that provides surgical treatment for conditions affecting the heart and the major blood vessels attached to it, including coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders, and aortic aneurysms. Procedures performed in this branch range from coronary artery bypass grafting and valve repair or replacement to aortic surgery and, in select cases, heart transplantation.

This branch differs from Cardiology mainly in approach: Cardiology manages heart conditions through medication and catheter-based procedures, while Cardiovascular Surgery is called on when a condition requires open surgical repair, such as bypassing a severely blocked artery or replacing a damaged valve. Care is closely coordinated with Cardiology for diagnosis and pre-operative evaluation, and with Vascular Surgery when a condition also involves the peripheral blood vessels.

Because these are typically open-heart or major vascular procedures, recovery is more involved than for catheter-based treatments, often requiring a hospital stay of several days followed by weeks of supervised rehabilitation. Pre-operative evaluation, including imaging and cardiac risk assessment, plays a central role in planning a safe procedure.