Cardiac Surgery

Cardiac Surgery Services

North Shore-LIJ is the area's leader when it comes to performing the most progressive and effective cardiac surgery procedures, including minimally invasive heart surgery and open-heart surgery to correct cardiovascular diseases. Our staff of renowned cardiac surgeons and caring health professionals provides a full spectrum of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery procedures that include: 

• Heart Valve Repair and Replacement – Treatment of acquired or congenital valve disease ensuring proper flow of blood thoughout the chambers of the heart.
• Coronary Bypass – redirecting blood flow around blocked coronary arteries
• Repairing Aneurysms or Bulges in the Aorta – helps to prevent the potential for a leak of the major blood vessel supplying blood to all of the organs in the body.
• Device Implantation – is a cardiac surgery procedure that helps to regulate heart rhythms with pacemakers and stents
• Ablation – the treatment of cardiac tissue to restore normal electrical pathways within the heart. removal of tissue by actually destroying it in small amounts in areas that disturb electrical flow through the heart. 
   

Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery

Traditional cardiac surgery involves an incision along the sternum (sternotomy) to access the heart.  It provides safe and versatile access for all cardiac operations.   Some patients, however, may be candidates for minimally invasive open heart surgery.  

Minimally invasive open heart surgery offers a select group of patients an alternative approach to cardiac surgery.   This cutting edge technology, sophisticated surgical instrumentation and precise surgical skill provide qualified patients with a safe, effective option to sternotomy – while insuring the same quality results.

Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive cardiac surgery offered at the North Shore-LIJ Health System.  The Minimally Invasive and Robotic Heart Valve Surgery Center at North Shore-LIJ is the first center on Long Island to use the Da Vinci® surgical robotic system to perform minimally invasive heart operations.  Robotic surgery is also performed extensively by thoracic surgeons who operate in the chest cavity.  The robotic system allows for small incisions, increased surgical visualization and improved dexterity while minimizing trauma to the chest and the surrounding structures. 

Smaller incisions, shorter hospitalization, and a quicker recovery are all potential benefits from minimally invasive surgery.   The key to success of these procedures is making them patient specific.   We make every effort to match the patient, pathology and procedure for the best possible outcome.

Aortic Registry for Aortic Pathology

The aortic registry is a database where our cardiac surgery department records and tracks the progression of a patient's aortic disease and pathology. This service will automatically order follow-up radiologic examinations and communicate with both the patient and private physicians regarding the status of the patient's of the aortic disease.

Surgical Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is an obstruction of a blood vessel in the lungs, usually due to a blood clot. Our cardiac surgeons treat patients with massive or submassive pulmonary embolisms. Wen indicated, they will perform a surgical embolectomy to treat a patient with this life-threatening condition. An embolectomy is the surgical removal of an embolus, usually a blood clot or other obstruction, in a blood vessel.

To ensure quality outcomes, our cardiac team coordinates with the following departments to provide a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach:

• Thoracic surgery
• Neurosciences
• Electrophysiology
• Imaging / Radiology
• Women’s Health