What Does A Cardiothoracic Surgeon Do? A Plain Guide To Heart And Chest Surgery

A referral to a cardiothoracic surgeon can feel like a sudden escalation. Until then, your care may have involved a GP and a cardiologist, a few tests and some tablets. Now the word surgery is on the table. Understanding who these surgeons are and how they work can take some of the fear out of that first appointment. 

Heart and Chest, One Speciality

Cardiothoracic surgeons operate on the organs inside the chest. The cardiac side covers the heart and the great blood vessels. The thoracic side covers the lungs, the chest wall and, in some centres, the oesophagus. Many surgeons focus mainly on one side, but the training covers both. 

What They Treat on the Heart Side

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a commonly performed heart operation. During the procedure, a blood vessel from another part of the body is used to create a new route for blood to reach the heart muscle beyond a blocked or narrowed coronary artery. CABG is often considered when more than one coronary artery is significantly affected.

Valve surgery repairs or replaces heart valves that are narrowed or leaking. Repair, where possible, preserves the patient’s own valve; replacement uses a mechanical or tissue valve. 

Aortic surgery treats a weakened, bulging aorta (an aneurysm) or a tear in its wall (a dissection). An aortic dissection is a genuine emergency, typically causing sudden, severe tearing pain in the chest or back. 

Surgeons also correct congenital heart defects, in children and sometimes in adults, and treat conditions such as abnormal heart rhythms during other operations. 

What They Treat on the Chest Side

Thoracic surgery includes removing lung tumours, treating a collapsed lung that keeps recurring, managing infections or fluid around the lungs, and operating on the chest wall. Many of these procedures are now done through small incisions using a camera. 

Open or Minimally Invasive?

Open-heart surgery usually requires an incision through the breastbone to reach the heart. In some cases, surgeons can use a minimally invasive approach, making smaller incisions between the ribs instead. This technique is used for selected procedures, including certain valve surgeries, and may reduce pain and shorten recovery time. However, it is not suitable for everyone. Your surgeon will recommend the approach based on your condition and the type of surgery you need.

Who Decides Whether Surgery is Needed?

Increasingly, major heart treatment decisions are made by a heart team: cardiologists and cardiac surgeons reviewing tests together. That matters because some problems can be treated either with surgery or with a catheter procedure, such as a stent or TAVI. A joint review makes it more likely that the recommendation reflects the patient’s needs rather than one doctor’s speciality. 

Questions to Ask at the First Consultation

Before planned heart surgery, ask your surgeon to explain the exact problem and what may happen without treatment. You can also ask about non-surgical options and whether a minimally invasive procedure is suitable. 

It is useful to know how often the surgical team performs the operation, how long you may need to stay in hospital, and what recovery will involve. For a major planned procedure, seeking a second opinion can also help you understand your options before making a decision. 

What Recovery Usually Involves

Recovery time varies depending on the type of heart surgery. After open-heart surgery, you may spend one or two days in the intensive care unit, followed by about a week in hospital. If the breastbone has been divided, it generally takes around six to eight weeks to heal. 

Minimally invasive and camera-assisted procedures may involve a shorter hospital stay. Breathing exercises, cardiac rehabilitation and a gradual increase in activity are usually part of recovery. Many people return to their usual activities within a few months, depending on their surgery and overall health.

Practical Points in Dubai

Planned operations usually need insurance pre-approval, which can take time, so ask the hospital to start early. Bring every previous report and scan, including any from abroad. If family will be caring for you after discharge, involve them in the consultation. And when choosing a hospital in Dubai for planned heart surgery, check that intensive care, cardiology and rehabilitation are available on site, because that wider support matters if recovery becomes complicated. 

How to Find a Reliable Cardiothoracic Surgery Hospital in Dubai

Aster Hospitals is a multispeciality hospital group in Dubai. Its facilities include hospitals in Mankhool, Al Qusais and Muhaisnah and Aster Cedars Hospital in Jebel Ali. Its cardiothoracic team provides cardiothoracic surgery in Dubai, including coronary artery bypass grafting, heart valve repair and replacement, aortic dissection treatment, minimally invasive heart surgery and thoracic (chest) surgery. 

Alongside cardiology and cardiac surgery, its specialities include emergency medicine, critical care, oncology, orthopaedics, neurology, and paediatrics and neonatology. A referral to a surgeon is not a verdict. It starts a conversation, and the better informed you are, the better that conversation will be.