Million of surgeries are done each year to correct heart problems among children and adults. Although there are more than a half-dozen types of heart surgeries, the most common treats coronary artery disease, which is caused when a fatty substance that accumulates inside the arteries blocks or slows down blood flow.
To treat this disease, a surgeon performs coronary artery bypass grafting, which uses a blood vessel taken from another part of the body to bypass the blocked artery. This can help prevent a heart attack. Heart surgery can repair heart valves that do not open and close properly, and can treat irregular heartbeats and chest pain. Diseased hearts can be replaced during a heart transplant, and mechanical pumps can be inserted to help the heart function properly. Heart surgery can either be minimally invasive, where a small cut is made into the side of the chest or incision is made in the middle of the chest.