Open-heart surgery
Open-heart surgery is a procedure in which the heart is cut open to correct a defect, such as repair of heart valves. The heartbeat is stopped during the procedure, and the person is placed on a heart-lung machine to deliver blood to the body. The heart-lung machine temporarily serves in place of the heart and lungs by mixing oxygen with the blood, removing carbon dioxide from the blood, and pumping the blood throughout the body.
| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: March 27, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
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