Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Surgery

There are three major surgeries that are common treatments for patients with congestive heart failure:

• Coronary Artery Bypass: If coronary artery disease (CAD) is the cause of congestive heart failure, a coronary artery bypass may be used to reroute the blood supply around a blocked section of the artery.

• Heart Valve Replacement: Heart valves regulate the flow of blood inside the heart. If the valves are damaged or defective, heart valve surgery may be recommended.

• Heart Transplant: When a heart is damaged to the point that no other therapies work and a patient is at risk of dying, a heart transplant may be considered. This is reserved for the most severe cases of congestive heart failure. There are number of conditions that may limit a patient’s ability to receive a heart transplant.

Surgeries can help treat congestive heart failure in a few different ways:

• Coronary Artery Bypass: If coronary artery disease (CAD) is the cause of congestive heart failure, a coronary artery bypass helps reroute the blood supply around a blocked section of the artery, ideally helping the heart receive the blood flow (and oxygen) it needs to function properly.

• Heart Valve Replacement: If the heart valves are damaged or defective, heart valve surgery may help restore the appropriate flow of blood inside the heart.

• Heart Transplant: In the most severe cases of congestive heart failure, a heart transplant provides treatment by replacing the entire heart.

Read more details about Surgery.

Surgeries for congestive heart failure pose significant risks to the patient. See individual procedures for more information:

• Heart valve replacement side effects & warnings
• Coronary bypass side effects & warnings
• Heart transplant side effects & warnings