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Off-pump (beating heart) Bypass Surgery
Nationwide, only 25 percent of bypass procedures are performed off-pump, but at MeritCare, the majority of cases are performed off-pump because overall, physicians believe it may result in improved outcomes for patients, including:
- Reduced need for blood transfusions
- Faster recovery from surgery and a shorter length of stay
- Reduced risk of bleeding, stroke and kidney failure
- Reduced cognitive problems including memory loss and difficulty thinking.
Why the difference between the number of off-pump cases at MeritCare and what's occurring nationally?
MeritCare's Heart Center team believes there are a variety of reasons why they're unique:
- Off-pump surgery is technically difficult and takes a great deal of expertise. Experience is also very important. Studies clearly indicate the more technical the operation, the more the surgeon's experience matters.
- When new treatment and surgical options become available, the MeritCare Heart Center team (heart surgeons, cardiologists and many other professionals) is known as an early adopter. Because of the environment of trust and respect, and the fact that the team is part of an integrated system of patient care and supporting services, they can quickly examine, debate and challenge new options and either adopt or discard them.
Facts About Off-Pump Bypass Surgery:
- Bypass surgery, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery enables a blocked area of the coronary artery to be bypassed so that blood flow is not hindered. In essence, CABG surgery restores blood flow to heart tissue that has been deprived of blood because of coronary artery disease.
- Off-pump bypass surgeries first began being performed nationally in 1996.
- Nationwide, 20 percent of the heart surgeons are doing 80 percent of the beating heart procedures.
- The device used to hold the tissue of the heart in place during surgery is called the Octopus.
- Because performing bypass surgery off-pump is relatively new, long-term studies on patient outcomes are not yet available.