What is off-pump heart surgery?

Summary

Coronary artery bypass surgery is also known as off-pump heart surgery is a medical procedure to increase the blood flow in the heart and increase in the level of oxygenated blood for the nourishment of heart muscles and proper functioning of the heart. Best heart hospitals in India utilize the surgical procedure with a small incision made between the ribs rather than a large cut made on the breast bone. This is different from the other procedure which utilizes the heart-lung machine; best heart hospitals follow the latter procedure. With ever developing technology and advancement made in medical profession every doctor associated with heart Valve replacement hospital in Delhi follow the best suitable method for the patient depending on all the factors such as their age, medical condition, any serious disease, sex and many other factors.

Article

The performance of surgical operations on the heart varies depending upon the case and condition of a client. One case could be attributed to the blockage or narrowing down of coronary arteries. Coronary arteries function to supply oxygen to the heart muscles and work to keep it healthy and maintain a rhythm of blood circulation. Coronary artery bypass surgery is also known as coronary artery bypass grafting which is a common surgical procedure used on patients. This type of surgery is used on patients who have an issue of blockage in their coronary artery thus affecting the circulation of blood. As the name suggests, the ‘off-pump’ heart surgery is the one in which a separate heart-lung circulation machine Is not used while the performance of this surgery which basically means that the heart still functions and pumps blood to rest of the body. Due to this reason, it is also known as beating heart surgery. Before this method was implemented there was a prevalence of heart-lung circulation in which the heart and lungs were still and a machine was installed to take up the function of these organs.

Atherosclerosis is a type of heart disease which causes the deposition of hardened plaque in coronary arteries; this eventually leads to narrowing down of the arteries over time. It often leads to chest pain and limits down the flow to the heart. The clots might lead to the formation of blood clots which completely block the circulation and flow of blood through one of the arteries leading to heart attack. Off-pump heart surgery is one of the most ideal procedures used by surgeons to restore the circulation of blood in arteries. In this procedure, the Best heart hospitals in Delhi takes up a piece of an artery from a different part of the body and carefully bypasses it with the blocked coronary artery and eventually restores the normal blood flow in the heart. A surgeon might decide upon this in earlier stages of interventions or it can be arranged in an emergency depending upon the seriousness of the case.

The currently used off-pump heart surgeries have a small cut of one to two inches in the left side of the heart. But sometimes surgeons prefer to follow the old method where a large incision of about eight inches is made over the breast bone which often led to damages made in the lungs as well. Due to the greater risks and recovery time associated with this, surgeons actively adopt the first minimally invasive method of surgery which requires less recovery time and lesser risks as well. People with high risks should always consider having off-pump heart surgery, such as people with atherosclerosis of the aorta, kidney problem or someone suffering from a chronic lung disease. Off-pump heart surgery reduces risks such as postoperative inflammation, irregular heart rhythms, postoperative infection, and so on.

Many a people with coronary artery disease do not get surgical operations and manage their condition just by a change in their diet and lifestyle pattern, the other non-surgical way attached to it is coronary angioplasty which is often referred to as coronary stenting. In cases of severe issue, the surgeon might suggest coronary artery bypass surgery which will lead to a reduction in the chest pain, inflammations and other heart issues. In many cases, a blockage might not respond to angioplasty which leaves off-pump as an option to be used. All these decisions are to be taken in discussion with the medical health professional.
As mentioned earlier off-pump surgeries have lower risks attached compared to a heart surgery performed with a heart-lung machine. Risks vary according to age, medical condition, sex, and many other factors. Most of the people who have off-pump surgery have a successful outcome but still the few risks attached to it are infections may be due to contamination of lungs, irregular heart rhythms, bleeding, formation of blood clots leading to heart attack, complication can also be due to the surgical procedure and type of anaesthesia used and kidney failure also forms one risk during the surgery. This surgery will require care and precautions for some time before getting involved in the normal day to day routine.

Conclusion

The discussion explains that coronary arteries form a very important part of the human body which have a major function of providing nourishment to the heart and its muscles and blood vessels. The internal blood cycle is hampered in cases when the arteries are blocked or narrowed down due to deposition of the plague which mostly is the lipid particles. In such a case seriousness develops when early action is not taken. Dr. Ajay Kaul suggests that a possible prevention form this is involvement in a healthy lifestyle. However, in many cases, the suggestions are made for taking surgical interventions. Though off-pump surgery has little to no risks it is important to discuss the case with your doctor and follow all the precautionary measures suggested for the continued and healthy lifestyle. Off-pump heart surgery requires the patient to take rest for approximately a week before getting involved in the normal routine.