Cardiac (Heart) Surgery - Stanford Hospital & Clinics - Stanford University Medical Center

Cardiac (Heart) Surgery

Location:	Stanford Hospital 300 Pasteur Drive Stanford, CA View a map

Mailing Address:	300 Pasteur Drive Stanford, CA 94305

Contact Phone:	(650) 723-6459

Days and Hours:	Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 8:30 am

Stanford's Cardiac Surgery Department enjoys an international reputation for excellence in all aspects of surgical treatment of heart disease. Stanford University Hospital was one of the first facilities on the West Coast to perform open heart surgery in the 1950s; the center later completed the first heart transplant under the direction of Dr. Norman Shumway, in January 1968. Today, Stanford surgeons carry out advanced procedures and pioneer new ones, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques whenever possible.

For example, Stanford heart surgeons may elect to do port-access coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) using small incisions in the chest rather than opening the chest in the traditional manner. In another case, Dr. Bruce Reitz has performed more than 90 advanced valvular surgeries known as the Ross procedure, in which the pulmonary valve is used to replace the malfunctioning aortic valve, and is in turn replaced by an artificial valve. In younger patients, this procedure helps the artificial valve last longer. There are many other examples of such innovative approaches.

In addition to heart and lung transplantation, cardiac surgery services include:

Coronary artery bypass surgery with arterial and venous grafts (the technique usually referred to as a bypass, which involves using several of these conduits to bypass the blocked arteries in the heart)
Transthoracic myocardial laser revascularization (TMLR, a new therapy to revascularize heart muscle in cases where a bypass cannot be performed. Surgeons create a series of channels between the outside and inside of the heart using a high-energy laser, allowing an adequate blood supply to treat disabling angina)
Brachytherapy (the placement of radioactive materials at a damaged site in an artery in an attempt to prevent obstructive plaque from re-forming)
Valvular replacement using both mechanical and tissue valves (the replacement of worn or damaged heart valves, either by man-made alternatives or those from natural sources such as pigs)
Valve preservation and repair
Repair of aneurysm of the heart and of the great vessels, including all types of thoracic aneurysms (techniques to surgically repair or reinforce distended blood vessels to prevent rupture)
Percutaneous endovascular stent graft repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (a method of reinforcing an aneurysm in the aorta using a stent, which is a tube made of metal mesh or coil. The stent helps prevent the aneursym from bursting)
Surgery for cardiac arrhythmias and insertion of the automatic implanted cardiac defibrillator (techniques such as ablation or insertion of an internal defibrillator to stop dangerously irregular heartbeats)
Surgery for heart tumors
Treatment of pericardial disease (pericardial disease affects the tissues surrounding the heart)
Treatment of congenital heart disease

In addition to five attending cardiac surgeons, the team is composed of fellows in an approved residency program leading to certification by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, clinical nurse specialists, dedicated cardiac anesthesiologists, and nurses specialized in the care of postsurgical patients. There are facilities for telemetry for cardiac arrhythmias and an excellent postsurgical rehabilitation and physical therapy program to enhance recovery.