Cardiac Surgery, or cardiovascular Surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to correct congenital heart disease; or to treat valvular heart disease from various causes, including endocarditis, rheumatic heart disease, and atherosclerosis. It also includes heart transplantation.

Cardiac surgery is any kind of surgical procedure performed on your heart or any related blood vessels near where they connect to the heart. In some cases, these surgeries may involve the tissues or structures immediately next to the heart.

What are the different types of cardiac surgeons?
Cardiac surgeons typically fall into two professional specialities. While there are many similarities and overlaps in their practice, a few differences are big enough to group them differently.

• Cardiothoracic surgeon
• Congenital/pediatric heart surgeon