At HealthEast Care System, open-heart surgery takes place at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Open-heart surgery is performed to correct a problem with your heart.

Open-heart surgeries include:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) - surgery to bypass narrowed or blocked arteries in the heart
• Repair or replacement of heart valves
• Maze procedure to treat heart rhythm problems
• Surgery to treat an aneurysm of the aorta

Our experienced surgical and nursing staff, along with our personalized approach to education and rehabilitation, help ensure a safe and optimal surgery.

Bloodless surgery

To eliminate the need for blood transfusions, we offer a "bloodless" heart surgery program. This unique program conserves blood during heart surgery and can help reduce complications and length of stay in the hospital. Learn more about bloodless surgery.

Before surgery

You will come to the Outpatient Surgery department at St. Joseph's Hospital the day before surgery, where a nurse practitioner will coordinate your care. You will have blood tests and be given instructions for the night before and the morning of surgery. All of your questions will be answered and you and your family will be introduced to Heart Care staff and our facilities.

Heart-lung bypass machine during surgery

Most heart surgeries require that a heart-lung machine be used for part of the surgery. This is a machine that takes over the function of the heart and lungs. The pump is called a cardio-pulmonary bypass circuit. A smaller pump, called the "mini-circuit" uses 60 percent less fluid/blood. This type of pump is available to surgeons for all open-heart surgeries at St. Joseph’s.

The mini-circuit:

• May be used for coronary artery bypass surgery and aortic valve replacements
• May decrease inflammation (triggering of the immune system)

 The mini-circuit is helpful:

• To minimize the use of blood products
• For women or smaller individuals
• To decrease surgical fluid gain

After surgery

Following heart surgery, you will go to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and then Cardiac Telemetry Unit on the fourth floor in the de Paul tower at St. Joseph's Hospital. 

To get you on the road to recovery, you will begin cardiac rehabilitation the day after surgery. Our nursing staff has been specially trained and work together to help our Heart Care patients recover.

Once you are home from the hospital, you can continue cardiac rehabilitation at:

• St. Joseph's Hospital
• St. John's Hospital
• Woodwinds Health Campus

Surgery Clinic

After you go home, you’ll need to come to the Surgery Clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital for follow-up care. At the clinic you'll meet with your surgeon, a nurse practitioner or a physician's assistant. It is important that you bring all of your prescriptions with you to the clinic.

Please call the clinic to make an appointment for three weeks after surgery. Call Stacey Lindgren, Clinic Coordinator, at 651-232-4500.