Cardiac Surgery

Our Cardiac Surgery Department offers patients state-of-the-art surgical repair of severe coronary artery blockages, valvular heart disease and various other cardiac, thoracic and vascular anomalies. The cardiovascular surgical team consists of a dedicated, highly trained group of physicians and staff who are committed to excellence in care, utilizing the most up-to-date technology and equipment. The surgical program was established in 1993. Since that time we have successfully performed over 3,300 open heart and 5,600 thoracic and vascular procedures.

In addition to open heart, vascular and thoracic procedures, two procedures offered at Hendrick Medical Center are the Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization and the Pulmonary Artery ligation for atrial fibrillation.

The TMR (transmyocardial revascularization) procedure uses the HD;Yag laser to create micro channels in a damaged area of the heart to promote the heart muscle to re-vascularize. This therapy may be as an addition to a CABG or may be the sole therapy. Patients with chronic stable angina or severe angina pectoris, which is non-responding to medication, may benefit from this procedure.

The pulmonary artery ligation procedure is for atrial fibrillation, which is one of the most common and complicated cardiac arrythmias. It can be associated with morbity and mortality. Atrial fibrillation may be acute, chronic, intermittent, consistent, persistent and permanent. The heart may have multiple trigger points, however, the pulmonary veins and posterior left atrium are the drivers of atrial fibrillation in most patients. The pulmonary artery ligation procedure (atricure) delivers targeted ablative radiofrequency energy to create a small transmural lesion. This lesion interrupts the multiple triggers causing atrial fibrillation.