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:

• Are older than 70
• Have had previous heart surgery
• Have diseases or conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, lung disease, or peripheral arterial disease

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.