| With over five million Americans suffering with | | | | open, rather than the heart, which may or may |
| heart disease, cardiac surgery is often inevitable. | | | | not be. Surgeons discovered hypothermia had |
| Cardiac surgery is performed in a Kankakee | | | | limits because the body and brain still need blood |
| County Hospital by a trained cardiac surgeon on | | | | flow. Artificial methods using an oxygenator were |
| the heart and possibly its great vessels. The | | | | explored, coining the term cardiopulmonary |
| surgery is done to correct congenital heart | | | | bypass. By the 1990s, cardiac surgeons were |
| disease, treat valvular heart disease and for heart | | | | performing beating heart surgery, referred to as |
| transplants. | | | | off pump bypass surgery because a |
| The first cardiac surgeries occurred during the | | | | cardiopulmonary bypass is not used. The heart |
| 19th century. These early operations were | | | | beats during surgery but is stabilized with the |
| performed on the sac surrounding the heart | | | | hope of fewer complications after the operation. |
| (pericardium). The first successful heart surgery | | | | New forms of cardiac surgery are constantly |
| was performed on September 7, 1896 by Dr. | | | | being explored in the Kankakee healthcare |
| Ludwig Rehn of Germany. Dr. Rehn repaired a | | | | system. Image technology is a less invasive way |
| stab wound to the right ventricle of the heart | | | | to treat coronary artery disease which required |
| without any complications. After the 20th century, | | | | open surgery in the past. The Kankakee Illinois |
| cardiac surgery was performed on the great | | | | healthcare providers insert a flexible tube into a |
| vessels as well as the heart. | | | | large vein or artery so the procedure is safer and |
| By 1952, researchers discovered it was | | | | the patient is exposed to less radiation. With |
| necessary to have a still, bloodless environment to | | | | fewer risks and a shorter recovery time, image |
| effectively perform cardiac surgery. The first | | | | technology is also used to treat a wide range or |
| correction of a congenital heart defect using the | | | | medical and neuro-vascular problems. |
| hypothermia method of stopping the heart and | | | | Another new type of heart surgery is |
| draining the blood was performed at the | | | | robot-assisted. A machine controlled by the |
| University of Minnesota by Dr. C. Walton Lillehei | | | | surgeon performs the cardiac surgery. The incision |
| and Dr. F. John Lewis. In 1953, the first cardiac | | | | made no longer has to be large enough for a |
| surgery was performed by a Soviet surgeon | | | | doctor's hands. Instead, three small holes are |
| under local anesthesia. | | | | made for the small robotic hands to enter. |
| After these developments, open heart surgery | | | | Typically, recover time is shorter after |
| was performed. This term means the chest is | | | | robot-assisted heart surgery. |