Cardiac Procedures and Surgeries
AT-A-GLANCE
Name of Procedure or Surgery
Angioplasty
(Also known as Percutaneous
Coronary Interventions [PCI],
Balloon Angioplasty and Coronary
Artery Balloon Dilation)
Laser Angioplasty
Atherectomy
To see an illustration of a cardiac procedure from this chart, visit:
www.americanheart.org /heartattack
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.
What the Procedure Does Reason for Procedure
Special tubing with an attached Greatly increases blood flow
deflated balloon is threaded up through the blocked artery.
to the coronary arteries. The Decreases chest pain (angina).
balloon is inflated to widen
Increases ability for physical
blocked areas where blood flow
to the heart muscle has been activity. Reduces risk of a heart
reduced or cut off. Often attack. Can also be used to open
combined with implantation neck and brain arteries to help
of a stent to help prop the prevent stroke.
artery open and decrease the
chance of another blockage.
Considered less invasive
because the body is not cut
open. Lasts from 30 minutes to
several hours. Often requires an
overnight hospital stay.
Similar to angioplasty except that Increases blood flow through
the catheter has a laser tip that blocked arteries.
opens the blocked artery.
Pulsating beams of light vaporize
the plaque buildup.
Similar to angioplasty except that Increases blood flow through the
the catheter has a rotating blocked artery by removing
shaver on its tip to cut away plaque buildup. May also be
plaque from the artery. used in carotid arteries (major
arteries of the neck leading to the
brain) to remove plaque and
reduce risk for stroke.
page 1 of 4
 Cardiac Procedures and Surgeries
AT-A-GLANCE
Name of Procedure or Surgery
Stent Procedure
Transmyocardial
Revascularization (TMR)
Bypass Surgery
(Also known as CABG or
“cabbage”, Coronary Artery
Bypass Graft and Open-Heart
Surgery)
To see an illustration of a cardiac procedure from this chart, visit:
www.americanheart.org /heartattack
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.
What the Procedure Does
A stent is a wire mesh tube used
to prop open an artery during
angioplasty. The stent stays in
the artery permanently.
An incision is made on the left
breast to expose the heart. Then,
a laser is used to drill a series of
holes from the outside of the
heart into the heart's pumping
chamber. In some patients TMR
is combined with bypass surgery.
In those cases an incision
through the breastbone is used
for the bypass. Usually requires a
hospital stay.
Treats blocked heart arteries by
creating new passages for blood
to flow to your heart muscle. It
works by taking arteries or veins
from other parts of your body –
called grafts – and using them
to reroute the blood around the
clogged artery.
A patient may undergo one,
two, three or more bypass
grafts, depending on how
many coronary arteries are
blocked. Requires several days
in the hospital.
page 2 of 4
Reason for Procedure
Holds the artery open.
Improves blood flow to the heart
muscle.
Relieves chest pain (angina).
Used to relieve severe chest pain
(angina) in very ill patients who
aren’t candidates for bypass
surgery or angioplasty.
One of the most common
and effective procedures to
manage blockage of blood to
the heart muscle. Improves
the supply of blood and
oxygen to the heart.
Relieves chest pain (angina).
Reduces risk of heart attack.
Improves ability for physical
activity.
 Cardiac Procedures and Surgeries
AT-A-GLANCE
Name of Procedure or Surgery
Minimally Invasive Heart
Surgery
(Also known as Limited Access
Coronary Artery Surgery and
includes Port-Access Coronary
Artery Bypass [PACAB or
PortCAB] and Minimally Invasive
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
[MIDCAB])
Radiofrequency Ablation
(Also known as Catheter
Ablation)
To see an illustration of a cardiac procedure from this chart, visit:
www.americanheart.org /heartattack
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.
What the Procedure Does Reason for Procedure
An alternative to standard bypass Manages blockage of blood flow
surgery (CABG). Small incisions to the heart and improves the
("ports") are made in the chest. supply of blood and oxygen to
Chest arteries or veins from your the heart. Relieves chest pain
leg are attached to the heart to (angina).
"bypass" the clogged coronary
Reduces risk of heart attack.
artery or arteries. The instru-
Improves ability for physical
ments are passed through the
activity.
ports to perform the bypasses.
The surgeon views these opera-
tions on video monitors rather
than directly. In PACAB, the
heart is stopped and blood is
pumped through an oxygenator
or "heart-lung" machine.
MIDCAB is used to avoid the
heart-lung machine. It's done
while the heart is still beating.
Requires several days in the
hospital.
A catheter with an electrode at its Preferred treatment for many
tip is guided through the veins to types of rapid heartbeats
the heart muscle with real-time, (arrhythmias) especially supra-
moving X-rays (fluoroscopy) ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
displayed on a video screen. The
catheter is placed at the exact
site inside the heart where cells
give off the electrical signals that
stimulate the abnormal heart
rhythm. Then a mild, painless
radiofrequency energy (similar to
microwave heat) is transmitted to
the pathway. This destroys
carefully selected heart muscle
cells in a very small area (about
1/5 of an inch).
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 Cardiac Procedures and Surgeries
AT-A-GLANCE

Name of Procedure or Surgery What the Procedure Does Reason for Procedure

Artificial Heart Valve Surgery Replaces an abnormal or Restores function of the heart
(Also known as Heart Valve diseased heart valve with a valves.
Replacement Surgery) healthy one.

Heart Transplant Removes a diseased heart and Recognized as a proven proce-

replaces it with a healthy human dure to restore heart health in
heart when a heart is irreversibly appropriately selected patients.
damaged. Uses hearts from
organ donation.

Cardiomyoplasty An experimental procedure in Increases the pumping motion of

which skeletal muscles are taken the heart.
from a patient's back or
abdomen. Then they're wrapped
around an ailing heart. This
added muscle, aided by on-
going stimulation from a device
similar to a pacemaker, may
boost the heart's pumping
motion.

To see an illustration of a cardiac procedure from this chart, visit:

www.americanheart.org /heartattack
page 4 of 4
© 2008American Heart Association, Inc.