Diagnostic Tests
Diagnostic Tests Diagnostic testing can determine the type and extent of heart disease and guide treatment strategies. Since complications can occur with most diagnostic tests, the least invasive test is…
Transition to Intermediate Care
Transition to Intermediate Care Once patients have initially recovered from cardiac surgery in the intensive care unit (ICU), they are usually transferred to an acute care or step-down unit until…
Other Surgical Treatments
Other Surgical Treatments In addition to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery and valve surgery, various surgical treatments may be performed by cardiovascular surgeons. They may be performed alone or…
Off-Pump Surgeries and Minimally Invasive Techniques
Off-Pump Surgeries and Minimally Invasive Techniques Over the years, efforts have been made to reduce complications and improve the outcomes of cardiac surgery. There is also a push to reduce…
Valve Surgery
Valve Surgery The function of the four heart valves is to maintain the forward flow of blood in the body. Each valve needs to open wide enough to allow blood…
Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Cardiopulmonary Bypass The first cardiac surgery was performed using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in 1953. Since then, CPB has been used during thousands of surgeries and the technology has continued to…
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery As catheter-based technologies, such as angioplasty and stenting, continue to improve, more patients are being treated in the cardiac cath lab instead of being sent…
Learning From Shared Narratives: Pulling It All Together
CHAPTER 10 Learning From Shared Narratives: Pulling It All Together If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story. —Orson Welles, in the…
