Cardiac Surgery
At Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, we have extensive experience with cardiovascular surgery. Our specialists are widely recognized for excellence in cardiac care and the ability to blend research and clinical practice. Outstanding outcomes and an unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and patient satisfaction greatly benefit a large volume of national and international patients and families every year.
Cardiovascular surgery patients are supported by our world-renowned clinical cardiologists, who are experts in imaging and advanced diagnostic testing; our cardiac anesthesiologists, who have expertise in perioperative transesophageal echocardiography; and our specialized intensive care physicians provide integrated and personalized care plans. This multidisciplinary approach, in conjunction with continual enhancement of surgical technology and facilities, has led to a global reputation for cardiac surgical excellence.
Highly Regarded Across the Country—And Throughout the World
Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital offers services throughout the Mount Sinai Health System. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for Cardiology & Heart Surgery and No. 6 in the world among the best specialized hospitals by Newsweek. The Mount Sinai Hospital is an international hub for complex heart valve procedures and reoperations due to its surgical rigor and exhaustive risk assessment. Our surgeons are renowned for heart valve surgery and mitral valve reconstruction, and the team performs over 400 mitral valve repairs every year while setting national benchmarks for favorable outcomes.
Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West are also nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for Adult Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Morningside have also earned three-star ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for their patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. Only approximately 20 percent of hospitals receive the three-star rating for CABG surgery. Our surgeons are recognized internationally for their expertise, including coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures—specifically off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting which eliminate the need for the use of a heart-lung machine during surgery.
Services We Offer
Key service areas in cardiovascular surgery include:
- Mitral valve repair
- Reoperative cardiac surgery
- Heart transplant
- Coronary artery bypass grafting, including total arterial revascularization
- Treatment of aortic aneurysms
We also help you maintain your cardiovascular health after surgery through lifestyle changes and medications.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, our cardiovascular surgeons consider many factors when determining if open-heart surgery is needed or if we can perform a minimally invasive procedure. We perform minimally invasive surgery through multiple small incisions, using specialized surgical instruments. Depending on factors such as age, risk factors, and specific condition, we may use minimally invasive surgery instead of open-heart surgery to treat a range of cardiovascular conditions.
Use of small incisions is termed "minimally invasive surgery". The advantage of a small incision is mainly cosmetic (the scars are smaller and less visible). In some patients, the pain after surgery may be reduced and recovery from surgery is faster when surgery is done through a smaller incision. Operating through small incisions is however more technically demanding and in some cases could reduce the safety of the procedure.
We offer minimally invasive surgery to selected patients. Not all patients are suitable for minimally invasive surgery. Patients who require additional cardiac procedures like coronary artery bypass surgery, elderly patients, patients with very diseased arteries, and patients with a very weakly contracting heart will not be suitable for this approach. Finally, our paramount objective is to ensure a good valve repair, with no residual leakage, at a low operative risk. Our surgeons will only perform a repair through a small incision when they believe they can do a good quality valve repair at a low risk to the patient; if the valve disease is complicated (as assessed by the echocardiogram) then we recommend a full incision as we believe a larger scar is preferable to an imperfect repair.
Minimally invasive heart surgery is performed through small incisions, using specialized surgical instruments. The benefits of minimally invasive heart surgery techniques include:
- Preserving the breastbone (sternum)
- Preserving the anatomic and physiologic mechanics of the chest
- Smaller incision resulting into smaller scar
- Less post-operative pain
- Shorter length of stay after surgery
- Shorter recovery time and return to regular activities