Heart Surgery

The idea of heart surgery can be daunting. But at Cleveland Clinic London, you’re in the hands of internationally recognised heart surgeons. We specialise in innovative surgical techniques, including minimally-invasive (keyhole) heart surgery, for the most complex conditions. You receive seamlessly coordinated care from an elite, multispecialty team who guides you through diagnosis, surgery and recovery.

Key features of our cardiac surgery services include:

• Team approach: Your heart surgeon works alongside consultants in multiple disciplines to deliver comprehensive, one-stop care. This collaborative approach means you have easy access to experts in vascular and thoracic surgery, interventional cardiology and heart imaging, all under one roof.
• Specialty expertise: Our surgeons have in-depth knowledge of the latest cardiothoracic therapies. They conduct research, lecture at prestigious institutions and train other surgeons in the most advanced procedures. Their breadth of expertise includes minimally invasive surgery, complex aortic surgeries, the newest heart valve devices and specialised heart bypass techniques. Our team also has particular expertise in repeat cardiac surgery and combined procedures, where we correct multiple heart conditions at the same time.
• Care for complex conditions: Heart surgery can be complicated by other health conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, liver failure, lung problems or bleeding disorders. We do thorough preoperative assessments and work with the right specialists to identify and manage these risks before, during and after surgery. Our primary focus is on keeping you safe while you’re in our care.
• Cardiac surgery pioneers: Our team includes the first surgeon in the U.K. to perform transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TA-TAVI), which treats aortic stenosis through a tiny chest incision. A number of our surgeons have also been involved in developing new techniques and devices, including mitral and aortic valves and minimally invasive heart valve procedures.
• 24/7 cardiac coverage: We have a heart surgeon on call 24/7 to attend to any critical surgical needs. Our hospital also features an acute admissions unit (AAU) and an intensive care unit (ICU) with 29 beds, staffed by an on-site intensivist around the clock. These services mean we can handle any eventuality after surgery, and you always have fast access to the care you need.
• Sophisticated equipment: Our state-of-the-art hybrid catheterisation and surgical laboratory combines the most advanced imaging, interventional and surgical technology. The lab allows us to perform complex combination cardiac, vascular and interventional surgeries, such as coronary, aortic and valve treatments, in a single procedure.
• Tradition of excellence:S. News & World Report has ranked Cleveland Clinic No. 1 in Cardiology & Heart Surgery in the U.S. for more than 28 years. Our London heart surgery programme upholds the same exceptional standard of care that Cleveland Clinic has demonstrated for decades.

Heart Conditions We Treat

At Cleveland Clinic London, we may recommend surgical treatment for:

• Adult congenital heart disease.
• Aortic aneurysms.
• Arrhythmias.
• Combined coronary, aortic and valve disease.
• Coronary artery disease.
• Endocarditis.
• Heart failure.
• Heart valve disease.
• Structural heart disease.

At Cleveland Clinic London, you receive personalised care and a treatment plan crafted by a team of heart specialists who meet regularly. Once we decide that surgery is the right treatment for you, we work together to select the best surgical approach for your needs.

Whenever possible, we perform surgery using minimally invasive techniques. A number of our surgeons helped develop and perfect keyhole surgeries now used worldwide.

Benefits of minimally invasive (keyhole) heart surgery

Benefits of minimally invasive heart surgery over traditional surgery include:

• Doesn’t require opening the breastbone (sternotomy).
• Improved mobility after surgery.
• Less pain after surgery.
• Smaller incisions.
• Quicker return to normal activities.

Complex aortic surgery

Experts in cardiac surgery, vascular surgery and interventional radiology work together to treat the full range of aortic diseases, including aneurysms and dissections. Our team has a high level of experience repairing or replacing the entire length of the aorta, including the aortic valve, root, ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending aorta and thoracoabdominal aorta.

Our team includes two of only a few heart surgeons in the U.K. with the expertise to offer full thoracoabdominal aortic repair and replacement. This highly complex procedure may be necessary if you develop an aneurysm in the section of your aorta that runs from your chest into your belly.

Whenever possible, we preserve your natural aortic valve with aortic valve repair or valve-sparing aortic root replacement. While this operation is rarely done in the U.K., we have a number of specialists who perform the procedure regularly and train other surgeons in this complex technique. Aortic valve preservation can help improve long-term outcomes after aortic surgery, including:

• Eliminates risk of prosthetic valve deterioration.
• May improve life expectancy.
• Minimises risk of endocarditis (heart valve infection) related to a prosthetic valve.
• Reduces or eliminates need for long-term blood thinning medication.

Minimally invasive heart valve repair and replacement

We offer minimally invasive keyhole surgery for mitral and aortic valve repair and replacement. Several of our consultants also specialise in endoscopic mitral valve repair, which helps you recover faster with fewer risks and less pain. It does not require a large chest incision. During this procedure, we:

1. Make a few small incisions on the side of your chest, along your ribs.
2. Insert an endoscope (special camera) and surgical tools through the incisions, allowing us to see the inside of your heart on a video monitor and operate.

Our surgeons always try to repair and preserve your natural heart valves when possible. But if you need valve replacement, our surgeons are involved in the latest research to develop new heart valve prostheses. As a result, you can access the newest valves with proven durability, performance and successful long-term outcomes.

You may benefit from mitral or aortic valve surgery if you have a damaged, diseased or infected heart valve, including:

• Endocarditis (heart valve infection).
• Prolapse (bulging valve that doesn’t close properly).
• Regurgitation (leaky heart valve).
• Stenosis (narrowed heart valve).

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)

If you have severe symptoms associated with coronary artery disease, we may recommend CABG. During bypass surgery, surgeons use healthy blood vessels from elsewhere in your body (grafts) to bypass diseased or blocked blood vessels leading to your heart. CABG can relieve symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath and reduce your risk of a heart attack.

Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery (MIDCAB)

Our surgeons specialise in minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery (MIDCAB).

We may recommend MIDCAB for people with a blockage in the left anterior descending coronary artery, at the front of your heart. During this procedure, we make small incisions between your ribs to access your heart, so we don’t have to do a sternotomy (large chest incision).

Complete arterial coronary bypass grafting

We also harvest arteries from your chest and forearm (arterial grafts) to create the bypasses for your heart, instead of taking veins from your legs as in standard coronary artery bypass. Veins from your legs are low-pressure blood vessels, meaning they degenerate earlier after bypass surgery. We prevent early degeneration by using only arteries for all the bypasses during your procedure, called complete arterial coronary artery bypass. Our surgeons have led the development of complete arterial bypass techniques, which are usually offered to patients with a life expectancy of more than 10 years.

Arterial grafts are shown to have better long-term outcomes than vein grafts. But if we need to harvest veins from your legs, we use endoscopic techniques to remove the veins. This way, you have two tiny incisions instead of a single incision running up your leg.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass

In some patients, our surgeons perform off-pump bypass surgery. Off-pump means we perform surgery on the beating heart without a heart-lung machine. This technique may help your recovery, particularly if you have a health condition that makes it risky to have a heart-lung machine during surgery, such as kidney problems, lung disease or liver failure.

Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Self-Pay Services

Whether you need a cardiac MRI scan, or want to know the cost of interventional cardiology, sports cardiology, surgical procedures or other services, we can help. Cleveland Clinic London has the most innovative tests and treatments available for self-pay, so you’re prepared for whatever turn your health takes. Find out more.

Learn More

Contact us or call +44 20 3423 7500 for more information including booking an appointment.

For specific information about our heart, vascular or thoracic services you can also email the HVTI access team at [email protected].