Cardiac Surgery

Atlantic Health System Heart Care offers some of the best cardiac surgical care around. U.S. News & World Report ranked Morristown Medical Center as a top hospital nationwide for cardiology & heart surgery, and each year, our cardiac surgeons perform more than 1,000 open-heart procedures – more than any other cardiovascular medicine facility in New Jersey.

We use state-of-the-art hybrid operating rooms and endovascular suites that enable our cardiac surgeons to treat patients more efficiently and with the highest standard of care.

Through Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute at Morristown Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System Heart Care, we offer the following types of cardiac surgery:

Aortic surgery

Our cardiac surgeons use advanced medical technology that minimizes surgical risks to make complex aortic repairs, including valve-sparing aortic root replacements and repairs of the ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending aorta.

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair

Aortic surgery can be performed with catheter-based techniques that involve only a small incision in the groin to repair damaged portions of the aorta in select patients. This avoids the need for incisions in the chest and the risks involved with aortic surgery. Atlantic Health System features two state-of-the-art endovascular operating rooms with imaging capabilities that ensure precise stent or percutaneous valve replacement. Learn more about our heart valve repair and replacement surgery >

Minimally invasive coronary surgery

Coronary, pulmonary bypass or off-pump techniques can be utilized to clear blocked arteries. These techniques, performed by making small incisions, may result in less risk and trauma for patients, and eliminates the need for a heart bypass.

Ventricular assist device (VAD)

A VAD is a mechanical device surgically implanted in a patient to partially or completely replace the function of the weakened heart.

Maze surgery

Our cardiac surgeons perform anti-arrhythmia procedures for patients with atrial fibrillation, a rhythm disturbance that requires patients to be on life-long blood thinners. These procedures can be done as part of other heart procedures or as a stand-alone cardiac surgery.

Post-infarction ventricular septal defect repair

Damage to the heart muscle occurs during a heart attack. Surgery repairs the weakened section of the heart to prevent rupture and help the muscle contract once again.

Adult congenital heart disease repair

Sometimes heart defects that have been present since birth do not cause problems until later in life. These can include atrial septal defect, patent foramen ovale, and congenitally bicuspid aortic valve.

We also offer:

• Coronary artery bypass surgery and minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery
• Valve repair and replacement surgery and minimally invasive techniques
• Cardiac assist devices