Cardiothoracic Surgery

The heart surgery program at King’s Daughters has a reputation for early adoption of new and innovative techniques that improve patient outcomes, even as we perform the most complex procedures on the highest risk patients.

While our high volumes and superior outcomes are noteworthy, we also maintain a patient-centered focus. Each patient is carefully evaluated and treated according to an individualized plan.

Our program provides cardiac surgery for:

• Aneurysm Repair: Surgical repair of a life-threatening condition in which the largest blood vessel in the body, the aorta, has developed a weakened area that can burst.

• Atrial Fibrillation: Atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm problem caused by faulty electrical signals in the heart. Surgeons use a technique called the Maze Procedure to burn or freeze lines on the heart to block abnormal electrical paths that cause the atrial fibrillation. This procedure can be performed in conjunction with bypass or valve surgeries, or as a stand alone, minimally invasive technique with small incisions and without using the heart-lung machine. The minimally invasive procedure is called a mini maze.

• Carotid Artery Blockages: Carotid artery blockages are caused by severe plaque buildup in the arteries leading to the brain (carotid arteries). Surgeons make a small incision in the neck and remove the plaque to restore blood flow to the brain

• Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: CABG is one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S. to treat heart disease. Traditional bypass surgery involves stopping the heart, clamping the aorta and connecting the patient to a heart-lung machine. This creates a bloodless, motionless heart on which the surgeon attaches bypass grafts (arteries or veins taken from the chest or legs) to reroute blood flow around a blocked artery. However, a newer bypass surgery, called "beating heart" or off-pump bypass, is performed while the heart is still beating, and the patient is not attached to a heart-lung machine. The surgeon stabilizes the portion of the heart that is being worked on, while the remainder of the heart continues to beat. King's Daughters surgeons were first in the region to perform beating heart surgery.

• Heart Valve Repair and Replacement: This operation may be needed when the valves of the heart do not close properly, causing blood to leak backward. Surgeons can repair a valve, or, when necessary, replace a valve with mechanical or tissue substitutes.

King's Daughters has been ranked No. 1 in the state of Kentucky by CareChex for medical excellence in Major Cardiac Surgery and is ranked in the top 100 in the nation for medical excellence in Coronary Bypass Surgery and in the top 10 percent in the nation for both CABG and Major Cardiac Surgery.