Home / Health / New Heart Surgery Slashes Recovery Time
New Heart Surgery Slashes Recovery Time
27 Feb
Summary
- Minimally invasive heart surgery significantly speeds patient recovery.
- ART surgery offers recovery in under three weeks.
- Traditional open surgery requires months for full recovery.
The Heart and Lung Centre at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton is pioneering a new approach to heart surgery, significantly accelerating patient recovery. The Anterior Right Thoracotomy (ART) aortic valve replacement procedure is described as minimally invasive.
Consultant cardiac surgeon Mr Mahmoud Abdelaziz highlighted the primary advantage of ART surgery: rapid recovery. He stated that this method involves no large incisions, minimal bleeding, and crucially, avoids damage to the breastbone.
Tracy Jones, a patient from Oswestry, underwent this surgery last September. She required a valve replacement due to shortness of breath and high blood pressure, which had narrowed her aortic heart valve. Her husband Glyn Jones expressed immense relief, noting that the rapid recovery has profoundly impacted their lives.
Abdelaziz further elaborated that for most patients, recovery takes less than three weeks. This contrasts sharply with traditional open surgery, which necessitates sawing through the breastbone and a long incision, typically resulting in recovery periods of eight weeks to three months.
