Get to Know “Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (CVT)”: Treatment Innovations for a Better Quality of Life

The heart and chest are organs that are extremely important to the body. When abnormalities occur, care and treatment therefore require specialized expertise. This article will introduce everyone to the work of cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons (CVT), including the technologies and types of surgeries provided by the medical team, as useful information for patients receiving services at Bangkok Hospital Hat Yai.

At present, the types of surgeries under the care and responsibility of the cardiovascular and thoracic surgery team can be divided into 3 main groups as follows:

1. Standard Surgeries

The cardiovascular and thoracic surgery team provides comprehensive surgical treatment for diseases related to the heart, blood vessels, and lungs, including:

• Coronary artery bypass surgery (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting)

• Heart valve surgery (Heart Valve Surgery)

• Aortic surgery (Aortic Surgery)

• Surgery for lung and thymus diseases (Lung and Thymus Surgery)

2. Advanced Surgeries

To enhance treatment effectiveness and safety, surgical techniques have now been further developed, such as:

• Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB: Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass): A surgical technique performed without stopping the heart, and without the need for a heart-lung machine to assist

• Heart valve repair surgery: Currently, treatment is not limited to replacing the valve with an artificial valve; doctors can perform surgery to repair and preserve the patient’s original heart valve

• Endovascular repair of an aortic aneurysm by inserting a stent graft via catheter (TEVAR): This technique has been developed into a minimally invasive procedure performed through the patient’s groin

3. Minimally Invasive Surgeries

Current surgical technology focuses on reducing pain and enabling faster recovery. The medical team can perform minimally invasive surgery for many disease groups using various techniques, including:

• Minimally invasive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery (MICS: Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery): A technique using an endoscope to assist in surgery, resulting in smaller incisions and applicable to many conditions, including:

  • Surgery to treat atrial septal defect (MICS ASD Closure)

  • Minimally invasive heart valve repair or replacement surgery (MICS Valve surgery)

  • Minimally invasive off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (MICS OPCAB)

• Minimally invasive lung and thymus surgery (VATS): Another technology for treating thoracic diseases that effectively reduces the size of surgical incisions

Good to know: The selection of an appropriate surgical method and technique depends on the diagnosis by a specialist physician, based primarily on the disease pathology and each patient’s physical condition.

The cardiovascular and thoracic surgery team at Bangkok Hospital Hat Yai is ready to care for everyone with treatment standards and modern technology, so that patients can return to a good quality of life once again.