Procedures to treat heart disease vary from minimally invasive outpatient ones to heart transplant surgery requiring a lengthy hospital stay and recovery time. Heart diseases that require intervention include heart failure, heart attack, blocked arteries, heart valve malfunction and heart arrhythmias. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) puts the cost of heart disease medical care in the United States at $316.4 billion, for 2010.
PTCA
PTCA (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty), as reported by Stanford Hospitals and Clinics, is a procedure to treat blocked coronary arteries resulting from coronary artery disease. During the procedure, fluoroscopy with the use of a contrast dye makes it possible for the physician to observe the coronary arteries as he inserts a catheter into the obstructed artery. Once in place, inflation of the tiny balloon at the tip of the catheter makes a larger opening in the artery to improve blood flow. Depending on the condition and extent of the blockage, placement of a stent (a tiny metal coil) may be required to maintain the opening.
Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization
The lack of oxygen-rich blood through the heart due to coronary artery disease often causes angina (pain) and increases the risk of heart attack. Texas Heart Institute reports that in cases of a severely damaged heart or serious health problems, bypass surgery to correct the problem is too risky. An alternative procedure is the transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR). TMLR involves the use of laser to create tiny channels in the heart muscle to allow oxygen-rich blood to infiltrate the muscle. Expect up to three months or more recovery time before realizing improvement.
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a heart procedure that provides a circulatory path around coronary arteries with too much damage to respond to a more conservative intervention such as angioplasty. As reported by Merck Manuals, an online medical library, CABG involves obtaining access to the heart through an opening in the chest. Establishing a bypass requires using a heart-lung machine to do the work of the heart while the procedure occurs. Retrieving a graft artery requires an incision in either the leg for the saphenous vein or the chest for the left internal mammary artery. Hospital stays vary from four to five days and recovery takes about four to six weeks.
Valve Surgery
Heart valve surgery is a procedure performed when a valve is too diseased to function adequately. Controlling the direction of the blood flow is the function of the aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary valves. Replacement of a heart valve requires the use of general anesthesia and a heart-lung machine during surgery, as reported by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Replacement valves are natural (from human donors), modified natural (animal valves in synthetic rings) or artificial (made of metal). Causes leading to valve disorders include infections, birth defects, medications and calcification.
