Dr. Jon Kiev: What Cardiothoracic Surgery Can Do To Your Body

Cardiothoracic surgery is one of the most complex and demanding of all surgeries. It involves repairing or replacing blood vessels and other structures in the heart and lungs.

One of the key components of cardiothoracic surgery is determining if a patient has any risk factors, such as being overweight or having high blood pressure. For that, Dr. Jon Kiev will explain what this type of surgery can actually do to your body.

What Is Cardiothoracic Surgery?

Cardiothoracic surgery is a type of surgical operation that usually involves both the heart and lungs. It can be performed on its own or in combination with other types of surgery, such as open-heart surgery or valve repair.

The purpose of cardiothoracic procedures is to treat diseases or defects in these organs that affect their function and cause complications such as chest pain (angina), heart failure, stroke, or sudden death due to abnormal rhythm disturbances such as atrial fibrillation (AF).

Cardiothoracic Surgery Types

Cardiothoracic surgery is a broad term that encompasses many different types of procedures. The most common surgeries include heart surgery (also known as cardiac surgery), which is used to treat heart defects, diseases, or problems with blood flow.

Other than that, there’s also lung surgery (also known as thoracic surgery), which is used to treat lung diseases such as cancer or emphysema, and orthopedic surgery (also known as spine surgery), which may be performed on the spine to correct deformities or injuries such as scoliosis.

Heart Surgery

Heart surgery can be done in the form of open-heart or minimally invasive, and this surgery is usually done in a hospital. Heart valve repair is one type of cardiac procedure that may be necessary for people with damaged valves, which are the four flaps that control blood flow from your heart into its chambers and back out again.

Another common type of heart surgery treats coronary artery disease (CAD), which happens when fat deposits build up on artery walls, making them narrow and harden over time until they block blood flow between your heart muscle and lungs, or even stop it completely.

Lung Surgery

Lung surgery is one of the most common types of cardiothoracic surgery. It’s done to treat several lung conditions, including tumors and other growths (benign and malignant) that may be cancerous, as well as collapsed lung (pneumothorax). This condition happens when air gets into the space between your lungs and chest wall, causing them to collapse inward on themselves.

Orthopedic Surgery

Lastly, orthopedic surgery is a type of surgery that focuses on the bones and joints. Dr. Jon Kiev states that orthopedic surgeons are experts in treating conditions affecting the bones and joints, such as fractures, arthritis, and sports injuries.

Orthopedic surgery can be done by itself or combined with other types of surgery to treat more complex problems. For example, an orthopedic surgeon may remove a damaged joint (such as an arthritic knee) and replace it with an artificial one that allows you to move more freely and reduces pain from arthritis.

Aside from that, a hip replacement is another common procedure performed by orthopedic surgeons, they will often recommend this treatment option if you have severe damage from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in your hips.