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Trust your heart to our team of experts.

When noninvasive approaches can’t improve symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery. Heart surgery treats a variety of heart conditions, including arrhythmias, heart failure, blocked arteries, and problems with valves and other heart structures.

Our team of cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and vascular surgeons work together to give you complete care. We perform a wide variety of procedures, from traditional open surgeries to the latest minimally invasive approaches.

We always use the least invasive approaches. But when minimally invasive methods aren’t possible, our cardiothoracic surgeons can perform even the most advanced open surgeries.

Hybrid Surgery

This team approach lets us combine minimally invasive and traditional surgeries in a single procedure, which offers you a faster recovery than open surgery.

  • Hybrid ablation (Ex-Maze Procedure). A heart surgeon and an electrophysiologist (heart arrhythmia specialist) use this procedure to correct an electrical malfunction that causes atrial fibrillation. 
  • Hybrid revascularization. An interventional cardiologist and a heart surgeon work together to restore blood flow in multiple blocked arteries. We stent some blockages and bypass others, offering an alternative to open-heart surgery.

Open-Heart Surgery

Open-heart surgery involves making an incision in the chest to address issues with the heart muscle, valves, or arteries. Your surgeon may need to stop your heart during the procedure, using a heart-lung machine to take over your heart’s function temporarily.

Whenever possible, we use off-pump or beating-heart surgery. This technique lets surgeons to do surgery without stopping and restarting your heart, allowing your heart to function during the procedure. It can offer you a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery, with less risk of complications. 

Minimally Invasive and Robotic-Assisted Surgery

Surgeons use advanced instruments and imaging equipment to perform surgery through small ports, rather than a large incision. This results in less pain and scarring, requires less time in the hospital, and offers a faster recovery. We use minimally invasive approaches for: 

  • Aortic valve surgery 
  • Atrial fibrillation surgery 
  • Coronary artery surgery 
  • Mitral valve surgery

Our surgeons are experienced in minimally invasive robotic-assisted cardiothoracic surgery. This approach gives surgeons enhanced dexterity and precision — far greater than what’s possible with the human hand. We offer robotic-assisted surgery for heart valve repairs and replacements and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Christine Forry, Tower Health Cardiology patient stories
Christine, who'd been treated for heart disease in the past, knew the signs of a heart attack — she went directly to the hospital when she experienced sudden pain while driving. Minimally invasive robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery restored blood flow to her heart and got her back on the road to recovery.
Read Christine’s Story

Heart Bypass (CABG) Surgery

CABG surgery uses blood vessels from other parts of your body (grafts) to bypass a blocked area and restore blood flow to your heart. We use advanced techniques to help you return to your life as quickly as possible, including:

  • Off-pump CABG surgery. This procedure doesn't require a heart-lung machine. Surgeons perform surgery while your heart is still beating.
  • Endoscopic vein harvesting. We use a minimally invasive approach with a few small incisions to get veins used for grafting. This limits damage to muscles and tissues.

Valve and Structural Heart Surgery

Our cardiothoracic surgeons work closely with a team experienced in structural heart problems, including problems with heart valves.

When more advanced heart surgery is needed, we use leading-edge techniques, such as off-pump surgery and robotic-assisted approaches, whenever possible. Our cardiothoracic surgeons perform:

  • Atrial septal defect repair. Surgeons use a patch or a device to close an opening between the upper heart chambers, caused by a heart defect present at birth.
  • Heart valve repair. This may include repairing holes in a valve, separating fused valve flaps, or correcting structural problems that prevent the valve from closing completely. 
  • Heart valve replacement. When valves can't be repaired, they can be replaced with an artificial valve or a valve made from pig, cow, or human heart tissue. 
  • Patent foramen ovale repair. When a naturally existing opening between the heart chambers in a fetus doesn’t close as it should once a baby is born, this surgery closes it.

Heart Rhythm Surgery

We offer a full range of options to treat heart arrhythmias, including implanted cardiac devices and other electrophysiology approaches. When more advanced surgery is needed, we offer heart surgery, such as:

  • Left atrial appendage occlusion implant. This implant closes off the left atrial appendage to reduce the risks for blood clots, and the chance for stroke. 
  • MAZE procedure. This surgery interrupts abnormal electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation. Surgeons make small cuts in a maze pattern in the heart that are closed immediately, which creates scar tissue. Electrical impulses can’t cross scar tissue, which stops the signals from affecting heart rhythm.

Heart Failure Surgery

Our heart surgeons work with a team to offer advanced approaches to treat the underlying causes of heart failure, including valve disease, coronary artery disease, and heart arrhythmias.

Surgery can restore blood flow to your heart to help it pump better, including CABG surgery, heart valve repair or replacement, or aneurysm repair.

We may use devices, like biventricular pacemakers, to help your heart pump blood. These devices are placed under your skin with wires (leads) running into your heart.

Aortic Surgery

We treat a variety of conditions that affect the aorta, including aortic valve problems, aneurysms (bulging areas), arteriosclerotic aortic disease (artery hardening), and dissection (layers of the aorta pull apart). When possible, we use advanced, minimally invasive approaches and robotic-assisted surgery to treat aortic disease. Our heart surgeons also use open surgery to repair or replace damaged areas, including:

  • Aortic valve 
  • Aortic root (area closest to the heart) 
  • Aortic arch (the area that bends between the ascending and descending aorta) 

Thoracic Surgery

We offer advanced care for chest and airway conditions, including the latest minimally invasive approaches such as robotic-assisted surgery and video-assisted procedures. Our cardiothoracic specialists create a personalized treatment plan to give you the best results.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehab can help you reduce your heart disease risk and teach you how to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle. We combine education, exercise, and encouragement to help you feel better and get healthy.

Need Help? We're here.

For questions and assistance, please call the Tower Health helpline.

Phone 1-833-34-TOWER