Cardiothoracic Surgery

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery is recognized as one of the nation’s best, performing hundreds of procedures each year.

To ensure the best possible outcome, it’s critical that patients who need surgery to treat heart and chest conditions go to a center with experienced, specialized surgeons – and you’ll find that at UT Southwestern.

Access to Experienced, Specialized Cardiothoracic Surgeons

UT Southwestern's cardiovascular and thoracic (cardiothoracic) surgery group is one of the nation’s leading programs, with more than 600 open-heart surgery procedures and more than 500 thoracic procedures performed each year.

Because we combine proven diagnostic and treatment approaches with new research-based strategies, our patients receive the finest, most up-to- date care for their conditions.

Partnering with a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists to treat each patient’s individual needs, our cardiothoracic surgeons perform procedures to correct heart and chest conditions in infants, children, and adults.

Conditions

Conditions that might require cardiothoracic surgery include:

• Aortic dissection: A rare and serious problem with the body’s largest blood vessel
• Aortic regurgitation: A condition in which the aortic valve does not close properly, allowing blood to leak from the aorta back into the left ventricle
• Atrial fibrillation (AFib): A potentially dangerous type of heart rhythm disorder (cardiac arrhythmia)
• Coronary artery disease: A condition in which blockages in the heart’s blood vessels limit blood flow to the heart
• Heart attack (myocardial infarction): An event in which the heart’s muscular layer (myocardium) is deprived of blood and oxygen for an extended period of time
• Heart failure: A condition in which the heart gradually loses the ability to adequately pump blood to the body
• Mitral valve regurgitation: A valve condition in which blood flows back into the left atrium from the left ventricle
• Mitral valve prolapse: A condition in which the mitral valve does not open and close properly

Treatment

Our cardiothoracic surgeons perform procedures that include:

• Implantation of cardiac assist devices, such as intra-aortic balloon pumps, left ventricular assist devices, and the Berlin heart
• Cardiac defibrillator implantation
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygen (ECMO)
• Heart transplantation
• Pacemaker implantation
• Repair of all congenital heart conditions
• Repair or replacement of dysfunctional heart valves
• Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG, or bypass)
• Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation

UT Southwestern also offers a dedicated Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Cardiac rehabilitation is a critical component of recovery and can prevent future heart disease.

Clinical Trials

As one of the nation’s top academic medical centers, UT Southwestern offers a number of clinical trials aimed at improving the outcomes of patients with a variety of cardiovascular conditions.

Clinical trials often give patients access to leading-edge treatments that are not yet widely available. Eligible patients who choose to participate in one of UT Southwestern’s clinical trials can receive treatments years before they are available to the public.