Heart Failure - Surgery
People who have heart failure may have surgery to:
- Open clogged arteries. Coronary artery bypass surgery or angioplasty may help some people who have heart failure with chest pain (angina) or who have had a heart attack.
- Fix problems that cause heart failure, such as damaged valves.
- Get a new heart. You have to meet certain conditions to get a heart transplant. But you may be able to have one if you have very bad, life-limiting symptoms.
Surgery Choices
- Heart transplant
- Surgery to get a pacemaker, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or ventricular assist devices (VADs). For more information, see Other Treatment.
- Coronary artery bypass surgery
- Angioplasty
For more information on bypass surgery and angioplasty, see the topic Coronary Artery Disease.
Understanding Heart Failure -- Prevention
Drug therapy to lower blood pressure has been shown to reduce heart failure rates by 40%-60%. Reducing blockages in the coronary arteries with anti-cholesterol drugs has been shown to reduce heart failure rates by 30%. Early diagnosis and treatment of heart-valve abnormalities can prevent heart failure caused by chronic volume overload of the heart's left chamber.
Read the Understanding Heart Failure -- Prevention article > >
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