Clinic of Heart Surgery

Doc. MUDr. Marián HOLOMÁŇ, CSc., Head of the Clinic of Heart Surgery
MUDr. Michal HULMAN, Consultant of the Department of Heart Surgery
Marta Kovarovičová, Head nurse of the Department of Heart Surgery
Monika Zibrínová, Head nurse of the Operating Theatre for Cardiac Surgery

During the last 5 years Clinic of Heart Surgery has performed 4,325 surgical operations in extracorporeal circulation.

The largest number of procedures (55-60%) has been performed in the field of ischemic heart disease. Extracorporeal surgery is followed by valvular surgeries (34,5%), reconstructions of congenital heart diseases in adults (1,5%), surgical therapy of aneurysms of thoracic aorta (4,2%), HTx (less than 1%) and extirpation of heart tumors (0,8%). Simultaneous operations (such as coronary artery bypass grafts plus carotid endarterectomy), pericardiectomies, surgical therapy of left ventricular aneurysms and aortic coarctation are performed too. Coronary surgery includes wide spectrum of interventions including venous and arterial bypasses and endarterectomies. The average age of operated patients was 63 years (the oldest one was 83 years old).

Since April 1999, revascularization operations without the need of extracorporeal circulation have been performed ("off pump" surgery on beating heart). The total number of such procedures until 31.12.2003 was 738. CHS is highly experienced in the field of thoracic aorta aneurysms surgery. In the period of 1992-2003, 359 such surgeries were performed, 145 of them in deep hypothermia and block of systemic circulation.

From March 1998 to May 2004, 50 patients underwent heart transplants that were successful in 41 cases.

The structure of the clinic comprises of 2 separate wards (56 beds). There are single, double or three-bed rooms. All of them are completely equipped with the central medical gases access, with monitoring equipment and individual bathrooms.

The medical staff is comprised of 17 physicians (12 cardiac surgeons, 5 cardiologists and internists). Six surgeons are able to perform all spectrum of cardiac operations, two of them specialize in HTx. Other cardiac surgeons perform extracorporeal cardiac surgery procedures, and are trained in valvular or coronary surgery, or in reconstruction of congenital heart disorders in adults.