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Heart Surgery

When you need heart surgery, you want to know that you’re in expert hands. At Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, our surgeons have decades of experience to ensure you have the best possible outcome.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s specialists offer the most advanced and effective treatment options for common to complex heart conditions. Our surgeons are among a few in our region to perform minimally invasive cardiac surgery for heart valve conditions. And our patient-centered approach means we care for your emotional well-being at every step.

Cardiac surgery: Why choose us?

Our team has consistently earned a place in the top tier of cardiothoracic surgeons for quality patient outcomes. Over the last 50 years, our specialists have led the way in clinical innovation and patient safety. Highlights include:

  • National recognition: We hold a 3-star rating (the highest possible) from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for several heart procedures, including isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), aortic valve replacement with CABG and mitral valve repair and replacement (MVRR). We are among only a few health systems in the nation to earn this distinction.

  • Subspecialty surgeons: Many of our specialists focus on specific procedures, such as aortic valve repair or minimally invasive mitral valve repair. This approach means your team has a high level of skill and experience in the procedure you need. 

  • Multidisciplinary approach: Cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists and cardiac imaging specialists meet weekly to discuss our patient cases. Together, this team of experts creates your care plan and determines the most effective procedure for your needs. 

  • Advanced techniques: We offer leading-edge heart surgeries that aren’t widely available, including minimally invasive cardiac surgery. This technique, offered by only a few cardiac teams across the country, has the same benefits as open-heart surgery without a large chest incision.

  • Nurse navigator: We make your heart care journey less stressful with a nurse navigator. Your dedicated nurse navigator answers your questions and coordinates your appointments so you can focus on your well-being. Explore our patient stories to hear more about our patient-focused care.

Open-heart and minimally invasive heart surgery

Our cardiac surgery team includes cardiothoracic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and technicians. We see a high volume of patients for both common and complex procedures. Research shows that more experienced surgeons provide better outcomes. Heart surgeries we perform include:

  • We are a regional leader in coronary bypass grafting (CABG). This surgery bypasses blocked arteries in people with coronary artery disease (CAD). We may recommend this surgery if you have severe CAD and it is the best treatment for your needs.

    Our team is also skilled in using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a heart-lung machine that allows the heart and lungs to rest after a serious illness or injury. ECMO allows us to care for the most critically ill patients.

  • People with atrial fibrillation (AFib) may benefit from the maze procedure. This heart surgery uses heat (radiofrequency ablation) or cold energy (cryoablation) to create a maze-like pattern of scar tissue in your heart. This scar tissue stops the faulty electrical signals causing AFib. 

    Our cardiac surgeons have years of experience performing the mini-maze procedure. During this minimally invasive surgery, we use slim tools and high-definition cameras to treat AFib without a large incision. With this technique, you don’t need to be on a heart-lung machine, and you have a shorter, easier recovery.

    Our comprehensive approach to treating AFib also includes the convergent procedure and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC). Learn more about our AFib treatment.

  • Our minimally invasive heart valve surgeries provide all the benefits of open-heart surgery without a large incision in your breastbone. Only a small percentage of heart surgeons in the U.S. perform these advanced techniques. We treat mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation, mitral and tricuspid valve stenosis and complex repeat repairs with this method. Our leading-edge surgeries get you back to your life within weeks, not months.

  • Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) occurs when blood clots in your lungs block your pulmonary arteries (blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs). CTEPH can lead to life-threatening complications, including: 

    • High blood pressure in your lungs (pulmonary hypertension) 
    • Heart failure on the right side of your heart 

    Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) is surgery to remove blockages in your pulmonary arteries. Our team includes doctors who are highly experienced in this complex procedure and provide consistently positive outcomes. Specialists in pulmonary medicine, cardiology, anesthesiology, critical care and cardiac surgery provide your care. This multidisciplinary approach means you have a team of experts on your side to ensure the best results.

  • Reoperations for open-heart surgery can be complex, and only the most experienced cardiac surgeons perform them. Our team cares for patients who have had previous heart surgeries, including those who thought they had no surgical options left.

  • Septal myectomy is surgery to treat thickened heart muscle resulting from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This surgery is highly complex, and typically only dedicated HCM centers provide it. Our team performs a high volume of these surgeries and is a national leader in septal myectomy.

  • Your aorta is a blood vessel that runs from your heart to your pelvis, carrying blood to your entire body. A thoracic aortic aneurysm is a weak spot in the aorta wall in your thoracic (chest) area. Without treatment, a thoracic aortic aneurysm can lead to a stroke. Although less common, a thoracic aortic dissection (tear) can also occur, which is life-threatening.

    Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a minimally invasive way to repair an aneurysm or dissection and restore blood flow in the aorta. Our interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons work together to provide this procedure, which requires a small incision in your groin. We guide a catheter through your vein and into your heart, where we can repair the aneurysm using a stent graft.

    Our vascular surgeons repair aortic aneurysms that occur below the chest. Learn more about aneurysm repair procedures in vascular surgery.

  • If minimally invasive thoracic aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR) isn’t right for you, our team may recommend surgical repair. Our cardiac surgeons are highly experienced in repairing these aneurysms. They provide consistently exceptional outcomes for even the most complex cases.

  • Valve disease can lead to various heart problems, including blood clots, heart failure and stroke. If medications aren’t effective, you may need valve repair or replacement surgery. 

    Our surgeons review your case and recommend the procedure that will give you the best outcome based on your age, overall health and medical history. We perform repair and replacement for aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves.

    The skill and expertise of our team allow us to provide surgeries that many centers do not offer, including mitral valve repair. With a repair, you keep your original valve and don’t need a mechanical or tissue valve implant. Our team provides this specialized surgery for some patients with aortic valve regurgitation. 

    If you need a valve replacement, our team will answer your questions and help you choose the method that’s best for your health needs and lifestyle. Options include:

    • Biological valve (made from animal or human tissue), which typically needs to be replaced after 10 to 15 years 
    • Mechanical valve (made of titanium or carbon), which may never need replacing, but you will need to take a blood thinner

Contact us

Contact us to learn more about heart care or to schedule an appointment. 

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