The article tells of cardiac surgery in patients with heart problems. Heart disease, according to the article, is usually divided into two basic categories. The first type includes diseases such as hardening of the arteries cause blockages in blood vessels. This blockage in the blood vessels results in the heart muscle not receiving enough oxygen. This lack of oxygen delivery to the heart muscles causes the heart muscle to malfunction. As a result, it could not pump effectively. The other main type of heart disease involves diseases where there is a problem with one or more of the four heart valves. The article explains that some disorders such as hardening of the arteries or arteriosclerosis, rheumatic fever, and birth defects can cause these valves to not open and close properly.

The causes of these two major kinds of heart problems are discussed briefly in the article. It claims that there are actually three main factors that increase a person’s risk of hardening of the arteries of the heart. These major factors include smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. A family history of heart disease is also a very important factor in the person’s tendency to develop heart diseases. Patients with strong family histories of heart disease should be evaluated early, even in the absence of symptoms. Heart valve disease can occur after rheumatic fever. This is due to a valve deformity at birth or it could serve as a consequence of hardening of the arteries.

The signs and symptoms commonly associated with the diseases of the heart are also given. The classic symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. The chest pain characteristically occurs on the left side. Such pain may be accompanied by pain that goes to the left shoulder and arm, and sometimes, even to the neck and chin. The pain seems to radiate towards the other body parts. Some of the other symptoms commonly include dizziness, sweating and palpitations, or a feeling like the heart is racing. The article discusses that the valve disease of the heart may present with any of these symptoms along with shortness of breath.

Treatment options for heart problems are also briefly discussed in the article. The surgical procedures with the aid of teaching-microscope involved to treat blockages in heart arteries include the use of balloons to open narrowed arteries. It also makes use of small metal stints to keep the blood vessels open. As explained, depending on the number of blockages and where they are located, a bypass operation may be recommended in some of the patients with heart problems too. Surgical interventions to treat heart structural problems come with health teaching to patients such as a change in diet, stopping smoking and control of high blood pressure. The surgical operations on the heart valves are used either to fix the valve itself or to replace it with a tissue valve from an animal or a plastic valve. The article explains that in valve replacements, it is better to fix the valve than replace it because some types of replacement heart valves require lifelong blood thinners. It adds that once the heart valve is repaired or replaced, the heart can pump more easily and effectively. Read more on this topic