Cardiothoracic Surgery

Heart surgery has been an essential offering of the Haynes Cardiovascular Institute at MarinHealth Medical Center for more than 20 years. We are the only hospital in Marin with a heart surgery program and we offer a full range of heart procedures. Our excellent outcomes have earned us consistently high ratings from the California CABG Reporting Program and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database. We work closely with cardiologists and can ensure a smooth continuum of care from the initial consultation to postoperative hospital checkups.

The Heart Room
Our dedicated team of expert heart surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac perfusionists, cardiovascular nurse practitioners, and surgical nurses operate in a specially equipped “heart room.” Our board-certified cardiac anesthesiologists have special training in intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography which provides optimal real-time views during valve repair or replacement surgery.

After surgery, patients undergo 24-hour observation by specially trained cardiac nurses in our intensive care Unit (ICU). An intensivist (a physician who specializes in intensive care) is available around the clock for ICU patients. After several days in the ICU, patients typically progress to our Cardiac Specialty Unit for the remainder of their hospital stay.

Adult Heart Surgery Procedures

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
CABG is a type of surgery that improves blood flow to the heart. Surgeons use CABG to treat people who have severe coronary heart disease (CHD). During CABG, a healthy artery or vein from the body is connected, or grafted, to the blocked coronary artery. The grafted artery or vein bypasses the blocked portion of the coronary artery. This creates a new path for oxygen-rich blood to flow to the heart muscle.

Maze Procedure
Atrial fibrillation is caused by irregularities in the transmission of electrical impulses through the heart. During the maze procedure, a number of incisions are made on the heart. These incisions heal and form scar tissue, which does not conduct electricity. This disrupts the path of abnormal electrical impulses and prevents the abnormal heart rhythm.

Valve Surgery
There are several types of valve surgeries, and they may be combined into a single procedure, based on the individual patient’s needs.

Structural Heart Procedures
In our Structural Heart Program, we also perform sophisticated minimally invasive procedures to replace damaged heart valves, as well as treat other common heart defects like patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD).