Heart diseases are a major cause of suffering and death, but early diagnosis and timely treatment can provide a positive prognosis for most patients. The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery offers state-of-the-art treatment to patients needing surgical solutions.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery is offered to those patients suffering from coronary artery disease when this approach is judged superior to catheter intervention. A significant portion of these operations is now performed on the beating heart, without the heart-lung machine.
Malfunctioning heart valves are repaired when feasible, using intraoperative echocardiographic control of the results. If necessary, severely deformed valves are replaced using a variety of substitutes.
Atrial Fibrillation, complicating the course of the disease in many patients with valvular as well as ischemic heart disease, can worsen symptoms of heart failure and allow the formation and embolization of blood clots. Using the most advanced technology available, Hadassah’s highly-skilled surgeons perform the cryo-MAZE procedure to correct this heart rhythm disturbance.
Surgical treatment of all spectrum of Congenital Heart Malformations is performed with the cooperation of specialists in Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia and Pediatric Intensive Care.
End-stage heart failure is treated surgically with Heart Transplantation, or using advanced assist devices.
Tumors of thoracic organs and a wide spectrum of pathologic processes in the chest are treated by a multidisciplinary team, applying the modern concepts tailored carefully to the individual patient. (See General Thoracic Surgery below).
Extensive and complex operations to replace pathologic segments of the aorta – so in collaboration with the Department of Vascular Surgery – are performed using cutting-edge technology with special attention to multi-organ protection.
The Cardiothoracic Team has achieved outstanding results with trauma victims, severely injured in violent acts and accidents, suffering from blunt or penetrating wounds of the heart, lungs and great vessels.