Cardiothoracic Surgery

At UC Irvine Medical Center, our surgeons provide a full range of consultative and therapeutic services for conditions affecting organs of the chest (thorax), including the heart, lungs and esophagus. Many of the resources and treatments available here are found nowhere else in Orange County.

Select a Cardiothoracic Surgeon »

Dedicated to Excellence

As a university-based medical center, we treat many high-risk patients who have extensive coronary artery disease, complex valve disorders or heart failure. Yet our cardiothoracic team produces results that are well above average, with a mortality rate less than half the national norm. 

We are dedicated to continually improving patient care. In fact, we have instituted a comprehensive quality improvement initiative which has significantly strengthened our approach to health care delivery, benefiting our cardiothoracic patients.

We also put a strong emphasis on prevention, and believe that avoiding disease is preferable to treating it.

Technologies

We offer state-of-the-art diagnostic testing, including electrophysiology and arrhythmia services and noninvasive heart rhythm monitoring.  We are equipped with advanced imaging and surgical systems that provide better visualization as well as more efficient, less traumatic procedures. UC Irvine Medical Center was the first hospital in Orange County to acquire the da Vinci™ robot, which greatly improves the precision of minimally invasive surgeries.

Procedures

The list of cardiothoracic surgeries performed at UC Irvine Medical Center encompasses many advanced procedures, such as:

• Coronary bypass grafting (bypass surgery), including minimally invasive and "off pump" procedures without the use of a heart-lung machine
• Cardiac valve repair and replacement, including implantation of human donor tissue
• Surgical ventricular restoration for congestive heart failure (Dor procedure), improving heart function and relieving pain
• Surgical correction of adult congenital heart disease
• Surgical treatment of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms and dissection, repairing weakened or ruptured arteries
• Installation of the TandemHeart™ Percutaneous Assist Device to temporarily supplement heart function
• Esophageal and pulmonary resection to remove diseased tissue
• Minimally invasive radiofrequency ablation surgery to correct atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
• Evaluation and treatment of mediastinal tumors (growths in the cavity that separates the lungs)

Our cardiothoracic team carefully addresses the concerns of patients and their families, educating them on what to expect both before and after surgery.

Rapid Recovery

The expertise of our surgeons combined with leading-edge technologies such as the da Vinci™ surgical robot means that UC Irvine Medical Center patients spend less time in the hospital. More than 80 percent of our cardiothoracic surgery patients are discharged in less than five days.

More »

More »