Question:

How different is heart valve replacement from CABG?

Time taken for heart valve replacement?

Submitted by Suresh from Bangalore, India on 07/16/2014

Answer:
by Denton A. Cooley, MD

Heart valve replacement and CABG are different procedures, depending upon the condition of the heart. Both operations required more than one hour on cardiopulmonary bypass, i.e., “on pump”, although some CABG procedures are done on the beating heart rather than using cardiopulmonary bypass.

CABG procedures restore circulation to the coronary arteries, which are on the surface of the heart. Valve replacement occurs inside the chambers of the heart. At our institution, valve replacement generally takes about 3-4 hours. The time will vary from surgeon to surgeon.