If your heart arteries are blocked by plaque (fat), CABG reroutes blood around them to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart. This procedure can relieve chest pain and prevent a life-threatening heart attack.
To perform CABG, your surgeon takes a healthy blood vessel and grafts (attaches) it above and below the blocked areas of the heart arteries. You may need several grafts, depending on how many heart arteries are clogged.
During traditional CABG surgery, the surgeon stops your heart and uses a heart-lung machine to pump blood through your body. But when needed, surgeons at St. Bernards Medical Center can perform off-pump CABG. This newer option lets your heart keep beating throughout treatment. Ask your surgeon about the best approach for you.
If one of your heart valves doesn’t work as well as it should, your doctor at St. Bernards Heart & Vascular may recommend valve surgery to repair or replace it.
To fix a valve, the surgeon may:
- Reshape the flaps that open and close
- Place a ring around a loose valve to tighten it
When valve replacement is your best option, a surgeon will exchange the damaged heart valve with one made of titanium, carbon or natural tissue. We’ll recommend the best type for you based on your age, medical history and preferences.
Ask your surgeon if you’re a candidate for minimally invasive valve surgery. This approach uses small incisions instead of dividing your breastbone, as in traditional open-heart surgery. That means you’ll go home sooner and recover more quickly, with less pain and scarring.
A cardiac surgeon can treat atrial fibrillation by creating a maze of scar tissue in the heart. The tiny scars block abnormal electrical patterns that cause an irregular heartbeat. You may benefit from this procedure if your arrhythmia hasn’t improved after nonsurgical treatments. Surgery not only relieves symptoms of Afib, but also may reduce the risk of stroke and heart failure.
Pericardiectomy treats chronic pericarditis—thickening of the pericardium, or sac around your heart. When the sac gets stiff and inflamed, it restricts the heart’s movement and doesn’t let your heart fill up with enough blood. Treatment can relieve swelling, fatigue and other symptoms.
Pericardiectomy is open-heart surgery, so the surgeon must divide your breastbone to reach your heart. Then, the surgeon removes most or all of the pericardium.
In November 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) certified the Advanced Heart Surgery Program at St. Bernards Medical Center to implant artificial heart pumps on patients with advanced heart failure.
The pumps, known as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), pump blood throughout the body, rather than relying upon a failing heart. LVAD technology offers a treatment option for heart failure previously unavailable in Northeast Arkansas. In fact, the program at St. Bernards is one of three programs in Arkansas and the first program outside of Little Rock to receive CMS certification.
Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr. Jay K. Bhama helped St. Bernards establish the program, performing the surgical implants. Dr. Bhama has performed this type of surgery for 15-plus years.
The Heart Restoration Team at St. Bernards assesses candidates for the implantable heart pumps before managing clinical needs after the implant. This multidisciplinary team includes trained nurses, nurse practitioners, coordinators, social workers and physicians. These physicians, trained in both advanced heart failure and cardiac electrophysiology, will work closely with Dr. Bhama to provide patients the best possible care.
