Our UCSF cardiothoracic surgeons are on the leading edge of treating cardiovascular and cardiothoracic (heart and chest) conditions using the latest innovations. When patients require surgery, the surgeons carefully evaluate each patient and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to determine the best approach. In many cases, a minimally invasive procedure will address the issue. This means the surgeon accesses the heart through catheters inserted in small incisions in the skin. For others, traditional open-heart surgery is the best option.
We offer a comprehensive range of procedures, most of which are done onsite at Washington Hospital. Some procedures are performed at UCSF Health. Listed below are some of the most common heart conditions and a description of the procedures that may be used to surgically treat them.
An aortic aneurysm is a bulge that occurs in the wall of the major blood vessel (aorta) that carries blood from the heart to the body. Having an aortic aneurysm increases the risk of developing a tear or rupture in the inner layer of the wall of the aorta (aortic dissection). Blood rushes through the tear causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to split or dissect.
A heart arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. Heart rhythm problems occur when the electrical signals that coordinate a person’s heartbeat does not work properly. The faulty signaling causes the heart to beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or irregularly. Arrhythmias may feel like a fluttering or racing heart and may be harmless. However, some may cause bothersome or life-threatening symptoms and require surgery.
CAD is a common condition where the major blood vessels that supply the heart (coronary arteries) struggle to send enough blood, oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. Cholesterol deposits (plaques) in the heart arteries and inflammation are usually the cause of coronary artery disease. Signs and symptoms of CAD occur when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. Those with CAD may experience chest pain (angina), fatigue and shortness of breath. A complete blockage of blood flow can cause a heart attack.
There are many types of congenital heart disease which are defects in the heart’s structure that exist since birth. The more common defects involve holes in the inner walls of the heart, abnormal heart valves, or narrowed blood vessels. These problems can change the way blood flows through the heart and may range from mind to complex, life-threatening conditions.
The heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. With heart valve disease, one or more of the valves does not work properly. Heart valve problems include regurgitation, where the valve flaps don’t close properly causing blood to leak backward in your heart. Stenosis is the most common valve disease and occurs when the valve opening narrows, reducing blood flow through the valve. Symptoms include heart murmur and activity-induced chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and fainting. Untreated, it can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
You likely know people should have their cholesterol levels checked periodically and need to keep them at certain levels to stay healthy, but what ...
Continue ReadingWashington Hospital is a Designated Cardiac Receiving Center Two days before Roger Wood’s 70th birthday, he started having chest pain. He was washing ...
Continue ReadingMany people mistakenly assume that heart disease is just a men’s health issue. Yet heart disease also ranks as the number one killer of American ...
Continue ReadingKurt Dowling, 67, of Hayward Hills, has seen many doctors over the years, but none impressed him as much as Dr. Rakesh Safaya, a vascular surgeon with ...
Continue ReadingHeart attack symptoms for women can differ from those for men, and some women tend to ignore those symptoms, says Sangeetha Balakrishnan, MD, a ...
Continue ReadingAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 12.1 million in the United States in 2030 will have atrial fibrillation, or ...
Continue ReadingLess than three months after an aortic valve replacement at Washington Hospital, 94-year-old Gonzala Ruelas of Hayward felt well enough to attend a ...
Continue ReadingTreatment options for aortic stenosis, a serious impairment of the heart’s pumping system, have improved significantly in recent years, allowing ...
Continue ReadingHeart disease is the country’s number one health condition, and a comprehensive cardiology program lies at the center of our Healthcare System. People ...
Continue ReadingThere has been revolutionary change in aortic heart valve replacements over the past two decades. Now, open-heart surgery can be avoided and eligible ...
Continue Reading