RE-OPERATIVE CARDIAC SURGERY
Redo cardiac surgery is very common in patients who live longer as a result of an initial heart surgery. Redo heart surgery is required to repair a flaw in the reconstruction method or replace a degenerated or dysfunctional prosthetic heart valve. The surgery is normally performed for heart valve repair, bypass surgery, aneurysm repairs and prosthetic mitral valve endocarditis (inflammation of the inner heart layer due to an artificial cardiac valve). Many heart conditions are progressive, and whilst initial heart surgery would have helped improve heart function and health, conditions can still progress.
The surgery can be performed in three different ways. The first is as open surgery, where a long incision is made in the chest and sees the breastbone separated. The second is a minimally-invasive technique in which three or four small incisions are made in the chest. Finally, there is the percutaneous method, where the chest cavity is accessed through a needle puncture on the skin.[e.g.TAVR]
