Cardiothoracic Surgery Department

The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery performs operations to treat coronary artery disease, cardiac failure, valvular heart disease, lung and thoracic tumors, as well as diseases of the great vessels.

Team

Surgical expertise

The main operations performed include:

  • Coronary artery bypass surgery
  • Valve replacement
  • Arrhythmia surgery
  • Aortic valve reconstruction
  • Mitral valve repair
  • Minimally invasive surgery
  • Repair of congenital heart defects in adults

The department and its surgeons are recognized specialists in a variety of state-of-the-art procedures, such as:

  • Off-pump coronary artery bypass (without use of the heart-lung machine)
  • Complex heart valve repair
  • Minimally invasive heart valve repair
  • VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) thoracic procedures (without opening the chest cavity)
  • Repair of thoracic aneurysm

Many of these procedures are performed using the minimally invasive technique, which is considered by the international medical community to be the preferred method for treating certain cardiac conditions.
The Cardiothoracic Surgery Department also performs hybrid surgery – joint endovascular procedures and catheterization, using advanced imaging systems.

Patient-focused care

The patient-centered care approach adopted by the departmental staff provides the patient and his/her family with the necessary support throughout the diagnostic procedure, treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation processes. The services available for inpatients, to improve health and reduce stress, include a workout facility, therapeutic massage, and music therapy. 

Treatment procedures performed

  • Treatment for atrial fibrillation
  • Endocardial radiofrequency (RF) ablation treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF)
  • Aortic arch repair surgery
  • Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)
  • Complete arterial revascularization
  • Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass
  • Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB)
  • Combined heart valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery
  • Thoracoscopic lung lobectomy – video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
  • Left ventricular reconstruction  (the Dor procedure)

Services

The Cardiopulmonary and Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic is the first point of contact for patients with cardiothoracic and/or cardiopulmonary conditions. The clinic performs exams and provides preliminary diagnoses during various investigational phases.

Expert cardiothoracic care

Leveraging the latest methods and state-of-the-art equipment, the Cardiopulmonary and Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic integrates treatment across medical disciplines.
The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center is well known for its cutting edge technology and techniques in cardiac (heart) surgical procedures. In addition, the department performs a high volume of thoracic procedures, primarily by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The VATS procedure uses small cameras and surgical devices for diagnosis and treatment. With just three small openings of 5 mm, 10 mm and 4 cm, surgeons can perform just about any thoracic procedure, including a lung or partial lung resection (lobectomy), thymus gland removal, or thoracic cavity cleaning to treat serious infections that hinder breathing (empyema). Compared with invasive surgeries, the thoracoscopy offers dramatically less pain and accelerates return to complete physical activity.

Visiting the clinic

In the clinic, patients are examined and evaluated prior to their admission to and after discharge from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
The clinic recommends that patients visit the clinic after their initial consultation with a pulmonary (lung) doctor. If this is not possible, the clinic will provide the initial evaluation, Subject to patient illness and condition, the physician may recommend either an invasive or a noninvasive procedure.
A patient referred to the Cardiopulmonary and Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic for a preoperative evaluation is scheduled for a preliminary visit. During the visit, the patient is interviewed by a senior surgeon/physician, undergoes a physical examination and receives a comprehensive explanation of any additional tests needed and the proposed procedure. If the patient is indeed a surgical candidate, he or she will be scheduled either for a pre-surgery clinic visit or for admission to the cardiothoracic surgery department for the procedure.
Postoperative follow up patients are examined by the surgeon and provided with a care plan, which may include medication, physical rehabilitation, and instructions for returning to life activities.
Patients visiting the clinic should bring a financial commitment form (Form 17) from their health management organization (HMO) or payment in cash.

​The minimally invasive heart surgery service offers consulting, follow-up and treatment in a broad range of heart conditions, such as:

  • Valve complications: During early stages of cardiac valve disease, patients can be stabilized using proper medical therapy; however, as a valve condition worsens, surgery is required to repair or replace the damaged valve. Further deterioration in valve condition can damage the heart, cause cardiac failure and even result in death.
  • Narrowing of the coronary arteries: The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. Occluded or narrowed coronary arteries can sometimes be treated with medication or stents via cardiac catheterization; however, patients with multiple coronary artery narrowings may require surgery to bypass the narrowed arteries. This treatment has been proven to be the most effective long-term option for patients with significant coronary disease.
  • Defects in the heart septum: Defects (holes) in the heart walls (septum) may endanger the patient and lead to cardiac failure or heightened risk for stroke. At times, these holes can be occluded with cardiac catheterization, but at other times, due to hole diameter or location, patients require surgical intervention.
  • Heart tumors: Generally, large tumors in or around the heart that endanger a patient should be surgically removed.
  • Atrial tachycardia conditions (such as atrial fibrillation): These arrhythmias expose the patient to risk of heart function deterioration and stroke, and often require patients to take blood thinners (anticoagulants) over the long term. Surgical approaches can offer long-term solutions to treating arrhythmias effectively.

The benefits of minimally invasive surgery
Conventional heart surgery requires cutting completely through the chest bone (sternum). Due to surgical advancements and technological innovations, the surgical approach can now be minimized, requiring only a small (5–8 cm) incision between the ribs, with no chest bone incision. Hybrid techniques use state-of-the-art devices, such as imaging systems, and advanced operative tools that integrate catheterization technology in the cardiac surgery procedure.
Minimally invasive surgeries have equal success rates to conventional invasive surgeries for patients who are candidates for the procedures. Minimally invasive surgery is likely to reduce post-surgical pain and complications, such as: breastbone infection, cardiopulmonary bleeding and infection. The procedure promotes accelerated recovery and substantially minimizes surgical scars.
It is important to emphasize that this procedure is not suitable for all heart patients. Candidacy decisions are made by the surgical team after a complete evaluation of the patient.

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