Cardiac Surgery: Heart Failure Treatment

The Division of Cardiac Surgery at UPMC includes more than 14 surgeons, all of whom are dedicated to pioneering new ways to care for patients with diseases of the heart, lungs, and esophagus.

The division  includes the Heart Transplant Program and the Artificial Heart Program, two world-class programs that have created new answers for people whose hearts are seemingly beyond repair.

Surgeons in our group perform hundreds of the following procedures each year on patients suffering with heart failure:

  • Coronary artery bypass graft surgery reroutes blood around blocked arteries to improve blood flow to the heart muscle. We have been successful with these procedures even in those cases in which poor systolic function is an added risk.
  • Heart valve surgery reshapes, fixes, or replaces valves that are malfunctioning. Depending on the individual case, surgeons may use mechanical valves or tissue valves, though the focus is on repairing one's own valve whenever possible.
  • Ventricular remodeling surgery may also be performed in cases where there's an aneurysm of the heart in order to improve heart function.
  • Pacemaker insertion is appropriate when the heart's electrical system is not working correctly. Pacemakers regulate the heart's electrical impulses to improve functioning.
  • Left ventricular assist device implantation provides the patient with a sophisticated device that supports the heart and augments the circulation of blood.
  • Heart transplantation is the replacement of a damaged or weak heart with a healthy donor organ. Our surgeons have performed more than 1,500 of these procedures since 1980.

Surgeon

Surgeons in the UPMC Department of CT Surgery perform hundreds of procedures each year.

Patient Information

Getting Ready for Heart Surgery

Video Resources

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