Heart surgery

Cardiothoracic surgeons at Ascension Seton provide specialized advanced surgical care in Central Texas.

Heart surgery in Central Texas

Cardiothoracic surgeons at Ascension Seton provide specialized advanced surgical care in Central Texas.

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Why choose us

When you choose the Institute for Cardiovascular Health is a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, for your heart care, your doctor is part of a multidisciplinary program with specialist like cardiologists and cardiac surgeons known for providing personalized care for heart disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Our heart program offers advanced screenings and diagnostics for your heart care needs.

Understanding heart surgery

When you have a heart condition, surgery may be recommended as part of your care plan. Our dedicated cardiothoracic surgeons and interventional cardiologists deliver surgical treatments to help open clogged arteries, restore blood flow to the heart, repair leaky heart valves and more. Whenever possible, your doctor uses minimally invasive, catheter-based surgery. Minimally invasive surgery may be an option for your care, often meaning a shorter recovery time and lower risk of infection. But sometimes open-heart surgery is recommended.

Each appointment starts with a conversation between you and your heart surgeon. We listen to your concerns and answer your questions. Then, we work with you on a surgical care plan that’s right for you – from surgery to recovery and cardiac rehabilitation.

Reasons for heart surgery

Common conditions your doctor may treat with heart surgery:

The heart is a muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. When you have heart failure, the heart can’t pump as well as it should. Or the heart muscle can’t relax and fill the pumping chamber with blood. Blood and fluid may back up into the lungs. This causes heart failure. Some parts of the body also don’t get enough oxygen-rich blood. This means they can't work well. These problems lead to the symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath, weight gain and swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, belly pain and cough.

An aneurysm is a bulging, weak area in the wall of a blood vessel. It may occur in any blood vessel but most often develops in an artery rather than a vein. An aneurysm can be categorized by its location, shape, and cause. The most common type of aneurysm is in the aorta. The aorta is the largest artery in the body. The aorta carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the body. A thoracic aortic aneurysm occurs in the chest cavity. An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs in the abdomen.

Aortic disease refers to conditions that affect the aorta — the body’s largest artery — and can disrupt normal blood flow and become life-threatening if left untreated. These conditions include aortic aneurysm (bulging or enlargement of the artery), aortic dissection (a tear in the aortic wall), and other structural abnormalities. Early diagnosis and specialized treatment are critical to preventing complications. Our cardiovascular experts provide comprehensive evaluation and advanced surgical and minimally invasive care to effectively manage and treat complex aortic disease.

CAD is a disease that affects the arteries in your heart. These arteries supply oxygen and nutrients to your heart muscle. Sometimes, a fatty substance called plaque builds up along the inner walls of these arteries. This process is called atherosclerosis.

This heart condition affects one or more of the heart's valves. If blood doesn't flow properly when the heart valves open, the reasons can be leaky valves (regurgitation), too narrow (stenosis), or not opening properly (atresia). Heart and valve conditions can lead to a heart attack or progressive heart failure.

Heart surgeries to treat your heart problems

Common heart procedures offered at Ascension Seton Institute for Cardiovascular Health:

Our surgical team treats complex aortic disease with leading-edge procedures, including aortic dissection repair, aortic aneurysm surgery, valve-sparing aortic root repair, and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). We deliver personalized, life-saving treatment using the latest surgical and minimally invasive techniques to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Your cardiologist might suggest CABG to treat blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. CABG is a surgical technique used to restore healthy blood flow to the heart, improve heart function and reduce symptoms. Our experienced cardiac surgeons perform both on-pump CABG and off-pump CABG. The procedure is chosen based on the severity of the blockage in the coronary arteries.

Comprehensive heart transplant care delivered by an experienced cardiovascular team specializing in advanced heart failure treatment. We provide expert evaluation, transplant surgery, and lifelong post-transplant management, including mechanical circulatory support and ventricular assist devices (VADs). Our multidisciplinary approach ensures personalized, compassionate care at every stage — from referral through recovery — helping patients achieve the best possible outcomes and renewed quality of life.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure that replaces a diseased aortic valve with a man-made valve. The TAVR procedure may be recommended as an alternative to open heart surgery. The old heart valve is not removed but acts like an anchor for the new heart valve. This procedure is done through small cuts (incisions) using a long, thin tube (catheter), X-rays, and ultrasound.

Cardiac surgeons treat complex heart valve disease to repair damaged heart valves through open heart surgery and minimally invasive procedures, including TAVR and MitraClip™. When one or both of your valves do not open or close correctly, it can lead to reduced blood flow, cause the heart to work harder, and result in symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, or even heart failure.

A VAD is a mechanical device used to help the pumping function for one or both of the heart's pumping chambers (ventricles). It may be needed when heart failure gets to the point that medicines and other treatments no longer work. A VAD can help someone's heart work when they are waiting for a heart transplant. Or when someone is waiting to see if they are a candidate for a transplant. A VAD can also be a permanent treatment. And it can help a person's heart recover after surgery.

How to get care

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When you are facing a serious diagnosis or deciding on a surgical treatment plan, there is a lot to think about. If you are looking for a second opinion for advanced heart care, talk with one of our heart surgeons. Minimally invasive or open-heart surgery may be recommended as part of your care plan.