What Are the Risks of Heart Surgery?
Heart surgery has risks, even though its results
often are excellent. Risks can be from the surgery itself or from the
heart-lung bypass machine. They include:
- Bleeding.
- Infection, fever, swelling, and other signs of
inflammation.
- Reaction to the medicine used to make you
sleep.
- Arrhythmias
(irregular heartbeats).
- Memory loss and difficulty concentrating or
thinking clearly.
- Damage to tissues in the heart, kidneys, and
lungs.
- Death. (People who are very sick before the
surgery are at higher risk.)
In general, the risks of heart surgery are higher
for people who:
The use of a heart-lung bypass machine increases the
risk of blood clots forming in your blood vessels. Clots can travel to the
brain or other parts of the body and block the flow of blood. This can cause
stroke or other problems. Recent improvements in heart-lung bypass machines are
helping to reduce the risk of blood clots forming. |