Cardiothoracic Surgery Patient Care

The healthcare professionals of the Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery offer comprehensive diagnostic and surgical care for cardiovascular diseases and congenital heart defects of adults and children, and comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic care for cancerous and non-cancerous diseases of the airway, blood vessels, chest wall, esophagus, heart, lungs, and mediastinum.

ADULT Cardiothoracic and Thoracic Clinic appointments 402/559-4424 PEDIATRIC Cardiothoracic Clinic appointments 402/955-4360

Cardiac Surgery:  

Adult Cardiac Surgery procedures include: 

Coronary artery bypass procedures  

• Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting
• Minimal-invasive coronary artery bypass grafting
• Traditional (on-pump) coronary artery bypass grafting
• Complex hybrid coronary revascularization  

Valve procedure 

• Mitral/tricuspid valve repair
• Aortic valve repair
• Minimal-invasive valve operations
• Mechanical and biologic valve replacements
• Valve preserving operations (David procedure)
• Aortic root operations
• Ross operation   

Aortic procedures  

• Repair of aortic dissection
• Repair of aortic aneurysm
• Replacement of aortic arch
• Repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm & dissection
• Endovascular repair of aortic aneurysm (a minimal-invasive remedy for aortic pathologies using a stent that is introduced from groin vessels and does not require a thoracotomy)
• Endovascular repair of aortic dissection, aortic ulcer and aortic transection 

• Heart transplantation
• Ventricular assist device (VAD): Implantation of a mechanical device to assist the weak heart in beating
• Ventricular remodeling for congestive heart failure (DOR operation) 

• MAZE procedure: A remedy for atrial fibrillation, that creates a "maze" of new electrical pathways to allow electrical impulses to easily transverse the heart
• Minimal invasive Maze procedure using radiofrequency ablation
• Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR): A remedy for angina (chest pain), whereby small holes are lasered directly into the heart muscle to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels 

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery procedures include: 

• Surgical repair or palliation of patients with congenital heart disease
• Surgical repair of children with acquired heart disease and chest wall deformities/masses
• Consultation on risks and benefits of surgery
• Intensive and critical care
• Transitioning the child with congenital heart disease to a normal lifestyle
• Information on growth and development of the child with heart disease
• Age range of pts. seen: Newborn to adult
• Prenatal consultation for mothers delivering an infant with Congenital Heart Disease
• Transitioning the child with congenital heart disease to a normal lifestyle  

Thoracic Surgery procedures include: 

Airway procedures  

• Bronchoscopic examination/bronchoscopy
• Tracheal stent placement
• Tracheal tumor laser ablation and resection  

• Biopsies - needle and open
• Resection and reconstruction

  rotation of muscle flaps

  prosthetics placement  

Esophageal procedures 

Endoscopic management of obstructions

laser removal

stent placement

Functional reconstruction and restoration (swallowing)

Resection  

Lung procedures 

  - for diseases including cancer, emphysema and pulmonary hypertension  

Bronchoscopy

Lung-sparing surgery

Mediastinoscopy

Minimally-invasive thoracic surgery  

Multidisciplinary thoracic oncology program 

In the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology program, thoracic surgeons conference with medical and radiation oncologists to determine an individualized course of treatment best suited for each cancer patient.  

Robotic (video-assisted) surgery 

• Less blood loss
• Less recuperation time
• Minimally invasive 

Sympathetic nerve procedures   

  - for hyperhydrosis/excessive sweating  

Sympathectomy/thorascopic division of the nerves