Cardiothoracic surgeries we offer

The mitral valve helps control blood flow through the left side of your heart. If the valve becomes leaky or too narrow, you may need surgery.

If this type of surgery is right for you, your surgeon may be able to repair or replace the mitral valve through a small cut on the right side of your chest. This means you may not need a full cut through the breastbone. It may also help you recover faster, with less pain and a smaller scar.

Aortic valve disease can cause breathlessness, chest pain, blackouts, and heart failure if it is not treated. Depending on your heart and the type of valve problem you have, your surgeon may be able to repair or replace the aortic valve using minimally invasive (keyhole) surgery. This may involve a small cut on the right side of your chest or a smaller cut through the breastbone.

Your surgeon will explain which treatment is best for you. This may be keyhole aortic valve surgery, traditional surgery, or a procedure called TAVI, where the valve is replaced using a thin tube passed through a blood vessel.

More about aortic valve surgery >

The aortic root is the part of the main blood vessel that sits closest to the heart. In some people, this area can become enlarged or damaged. If this happens, you may need surgery to lower the risk of serious problems.

For suitable patients, Cromwell Hospital offers keyhole surgery for some conditions affecting the aortic root and ascending aorta. This may include valve-sparing aortic root surgery, also called aortic valve-preserving root replacement or the David procedure.

Where possible, this surgery lets your surgeon replace the enlarged or weakened part of the aortic root while keeping your own aortic valve.

Coronary bypass surgery helps improve blood flow to the heart when the arteries that supply it become narrow or blocked.

For some patients, coronary bypass surgery can be done through a small cut on the left side of the chest. This may include MIDCAB surgery, which is used to treat a narrowed or blocked LAD artery. In some carefully selected cases, surgeons may also be able to treat more than one artery using keyhole bypass surgery.

Some patients may also have a combined treatment. This means keyhole bypass surgery is used alongside stenting, which is carried out by an interventional cardiologist.

More about coronary artery bypass graft >

Atrial fibrillation is a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. For some patients, surgery or a combined treatment may help if symptoms continue after medication or a procedure called catheter ablation.

Cromwell Hospital offers advanced treatments for atrial fibrillation. Some treatments combine surgery with catheter-based care, where treatment is given through a thin tube passed into a blood vessel. For some patients, a procedure to close the left atrial appendage may also help reduce the risk of stroke.

More about hybrid AF ablation >

Thoracic surgery can be done through open surgery or keyhole surgery. Keyhole surgery may include video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), where a small camera helps your surgeon see inside your chest. Your surgeon will explain which option is best for you. 

• Decortication: A procedure used to remove abnormal fibrous tissue from the lungs, chest wall, or diaphragm. 
• Laryngotracheal reconstruction: A surgery carried out to widen the airways, allowing the patient to breathe more easily. 
• Lobectomy: A surgical procedure used to remove a lobe of the lung, usually in instances of lung cancer. 
• Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS): A surgical procedure used to remove damaged lung tissue. 
• Metastasectomy of the lung: Used to remove cancerous growths (metastases) from the lungs. 
• Nuss procedure: A minimally invasive surgery used to correct pectus excavatum, a deformity where the chest is sunken in. 
• Pleurodesis: Used to anchor the lung to the chest wall, eliminating the space where fluid and air can build-up. 
• Pleurectomy: Used to remove the lining between the lungs and chest wall (the pleura), which helps prevent fluid build-up. 
• Pneumonectomy: A surgical procedure carried out to remove a lung, usually as a result of cancer or tumour growth. 
• Ravitch procedure: Used to correct more severe cases of both pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum. 
• Segmentectomy: In lung cancer surgery, a segmentectomy is when the diseased portion of lung tissue is removed. 
• Thoracotomy: Involves making a small incision between the ribs to allow the surgeon access to the chest cavity. 
• Tracheal resection: Used to remove all or part of the windpipe in cases where significant narrowing (stenosis) has occurred. 
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS): A surgical technique that uses a tiny camera to diagnose and treat conditions in the thoracic cavity. 
• Wedge resection: Used to remove a diseased part of the lungs, usually where cancer has developed.