--- title: "Cardiovascular surgery services at Sutter Health" description: "Sutter's cardiovascular surgery services offer procedures like bypass surgery, valve repair and minimally invasive treatments for heart and vascular conditions." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services) / 3. Cardiovascular Surgery # Cardiovascular surgery Advanced technology and surgical techniques have made cardiovascular surgery an excellent choice for people with certain life-threatening heart conditions. [Find a cardiovascular surgeon](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22acceptingNewPatients%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5Btrue%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_providerSpecialties.specialty.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Cardiothoracic+Surgery%22%2C%22Congenital+Cardiac+Surgery%22%2C%22Electrophysiology%22%2C%22Interventional+Cardiology%22%2C%22Thoracic+and+Cardiac+Surgery%22%2C%22Vascular+Surgery%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=healthcare_professionals) [Request a referral](https://www.sutterhealth.org/referrals) ## Why choose Sutter? If you need heart surgery, we’re here to help you feel at ease and answer your questions. When you turn to Sutter for heart care, you’ll receive access to some of the most advanced procedures and techniques available. Our cardiovascular specialists will explain your options and recommend the best course of treatment for you. We specialize in various heart surgeries, including open-heart surgery and minimally invasive procedures.  Our innovative technologies make it possible for people to receive treatment without undergoing traditional open-heart surgery. The use of catheter-based, nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedures like TAVR, TMVR and Watchman™ implants means we can treat conditions with only a small incision. If more complex surgery is needed, you can trust that you’re in safe hands. Our heart care has been recognized by the American Heart Association, HealthGrades and U.S. News & World Report. ## By the numbers ### 325+ Heart and Vascular Specialists provide award-winning cardiovascular care to adults and children. ### 5 Cardiac Surgery Centers are the foundation of our cardiovascular program — one of the largest in the country. ### 800+ Heart Transplants provided since being the first hospital in Greater Sacramento to perform one.  ### 7 Hospitals Recognized by U.S. News & World Report for heart attack and heart failure care. ## Need a referral? Chat live with our team Monday through Friday, 8:00 am — 5:00 pm, or call us at [888-834-1788](tel:+18888341788). [Request a referral](https://www.sutterhealth.org/referrals) ## Conditions - Atrial Fibrillation - Congenital Heart Disease - [Heart failure](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/heart-failure) - Heart Rhythm Disorder - [Heart valve disorder](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/heart-valve-disease) ## Diagnostics - Blood test - CT scan - Echocardiogram - X-ray ## Treatments - Ablation - Aortic valve repair - Congenital Heart Defect Correction - Coronary bypass - [Heart and vascular surgery](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery) - [Heart transplant](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/heart-transplants-and-cardiac-assist-devices) - Heart Valve Surgery - Impella® Heart Pump - PFO/ASD Closure - Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) - Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) - Watchman™ Implant ## Awards and accreditations [View all Awards and accreditations](https://www.sutterhealth.org/about-us/awards?verticalKey=awards&facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_awardServices.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Cardiovascular+surgery%22%5D%7D%5D) Healthgrades 2026 Cardiac Care Excellence Healthgrades 2023 #2 in California for Cardiac Surgery [View all Awards and accreditations](https://www.sutterhealth.org/about-us/awards?verticalKey=awards&facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_awardServices.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Cardiovascular+surgery%22%5D%7D%5D) Christopher Woods, M.D., explains a minimally invasive procedure to treat Afib and its symptoms. Christian Spies, M.D., explains minimally invasive procedure to repair a leaky mitral heart valve. 1 / 2 1 / 2 Christopher Woods, M.D., explains a minimally invasive procedure to treat Afib and its symptoms. Christian Spies, M.D., explains minimally invasive procedure to repair a leaky mitral heart valve. ![stethoscope-and-heart](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/medical-doctors/stethoscope-and-heart.jpg?h=483&iar=0&w=724) ## TAVR research Review the latest TAVR research at Sutter’s world-class research institutes. See current studies, clinical trials, publications and more [View clinical trials](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22TAVR%22%5D%7D%5D&query=%22Cardiovascular+Diseases%22&verticalKey=clinical_trial) ![stethoscope-and-heart](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/SutterHealth/Images/medical-doctors/stethoscope-and-heart.jpg?h=483&iar=0&w=724) ## Sutter spotlight Health & wellness ### [Heart Palpitations: What To Know](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/heart-palpitations-what-to-know-about-thumps-flutters-and-skipped-beats) Heart flutters and thumps can be scary, but they’re usually nothing to worry about. Health & wellness ### [Early Signs of a Heart Attack](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/early-signs-of-a-heart-attack) Learn which symptoms you shouldn't ignore. Health & wellness ### [Monitoring Your Blood Pressure at Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/how-to-check-and-monitor-your-blood-pressure-at-home) Tips on checking your blood pressure at home. Who should be monitoring, how often should you be checking, and how to do it correctly. ## Patient stories [View all stories](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories) - [Patient story ### Watchman Implant Gives Winemaker Cause To Celebrate ](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/watchman-implant-gives-winemaker-cause-to-celebrate-1042868321) [View all stories](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories) ## Frequently asked questions **What are the advantages of TAVR over open heart surgery?** The advantages of TAVR over open heart surgery include: - Allows physical activity such as walking approximately six hours after the procedure - Eliminates use of a heart-lung machine (cardiopulmonary bypass) during the procedure - Improves overall symptoms, quality of life and life expectancy - Reduces hospital stay, with discharge the next day - Reduces infection risk - Takes approximately 2 hours from prep to recovery area - Uses a less invasive procedure that eliminates the need for open-heart surgery - Yields a shorter recovery period of about 1–2 weeks **What types of artificial heart valves does Sutter work with?** We use two types of artificial heart valves: 1. Mechanical valves are made of metal. These valves may last as long as 25 years. However, people with mechanical valves need to take blood-thinning medication like warfarin for the rest of their lives. 2. Biological valves are made of human or animal tissue. These valves typically last 10–15 years. People with biological valves typically don’t need to take blood thinners. ## Cardiovascular surgery for heart conditions Receive treatment at Sutter, with surgical options designed for a range of heart conditions. [Find a cardiovascular surgeon](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider-results?facets=[{%22i%22:%22acceptingNewPatients%22,%22v%22:[true]},{%22i%22:%22c_providerSpecialties.specialty.name%22,%22v%22:[%22Cardiothoracic%20Surgery%22,%22Congenital%20Cardiac%20Surgery%22,%22Electrophysiology%22,%22Interventional%20Cardiology%22,%22Thoracic%20and%20Cardiac%20Surgery%22,%22Vascular%20Surgery%22]}]&verticalKey=healthcare_professionals) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery#breadcrumblist"},"name":"Cardiovascular surgery at Sutter Health","description":"Sutter's cardiovascular surgery services offer procedures like bypass surgery, valve repair and minimally invasive treatments for heart and vascular conditions.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"MedicalSpecialty","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery#medicalspecialty","name":"Cardiovascular surgery","alternateName":["Angioplasty","Balloon angioplasty","Coronary Artery Disease","Arteriosclerosis","Coronary","Atherosclerosis","CAD","Coronary Arteriosclerosis","Coronary atherosclerosis","Heart Surgery","Cardiothoracic Surgery","Vascular Surgery","Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)","Open-Heart Surgery","Valve Replacement Surgery","Aortic Surgery","Heart Valve Repair","TAVR","Congenital Heart Surgery","Cardiac Bypass"],"url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery"},"award":["Cardiac Care Excellence - 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These valves may last as long as 25 years. However, people with mechanical valves need to take blood-thinning medication like warfarin for the rest of their lives. Biological valves are made of human or animal tissue. These valves typically last 10–15 years. People with biological valves typically don’t need to take blood thinners."}}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/cardiovascular-surgery#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Services","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/services"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Cardiovascular Surgery"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"AFib (Atrial Fibrillation): Symptoms and Cardiac Ablation Treatment","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/817826402001/d9f03735-2ab5-4123-abfc-349c40a7a3a1/e8b37204-47f6-4c17-a90a-0eeae6e8c0ea/1280x720/match/image.jpg","uploadDate":"2022-06-29T22:34:23.774Z","embedUrl":"https://players.brightcove.net/817826402001/79bcaa57-54d7-453c-9f1f-8ab3ef7b15de/index.html?videoId=6308740628112","description":"Christopher Woods, M.D., explains a minimally invasive procedure to treat AFib and its symptoms.","duration":"PT1M36S","transcript":"Atrial fibrillation\nis a rapid and irregular heartbeat\nthat can lead to strokes\nand heart attacks and even death.\nWhen you think about the heart,\nit's really just a car engine.\nSo it has a number of components,\nand all of them can become problems.\nJust like in a car engine,\nthe appropriate timing\nof the contraction\nis controlled by electricity.\nThat electricity manifests\nas a spark plug in the heart\nthat controls the heart rate.\nAnd so in atrial fibrillation,\nthe spark plug misfire,\nand they fire so rapidly\nthat the mechanics of the fuel\ninjector can't keep up.\nThey actually don't work anymore.\nThe most common symptoms\nare chest pain,\nshortness of breath, fatigue,\nfeeling their heart race.\nTreatment of afib is varied,\nand there's lots of options for patients.\nOne is what we call ablation.\nAblation is a way in which\nwe can use heat energy\nto cauterize the areas\nthat are of abnormal\nelectricity in the heart.\nWe do it through a very small incision\nin the veins of the leg,\nso small that it doesn't\neven require a stitch.\nIt heals on its own within a few hours.\nAverage procedure time from\nwhen the patient's put to sleep\ncompletely to when the wake up\nis around 120 minutes.\nSo, a patient can have an ablation,\nthey're up and walking around\nlater that day,\nand we can have them\nin a new place in their life.\nFor patients with heart rhythm disorders,\ntreatment should be more\nthan a way to survive.\nIt really should be a way\nfor patients to thrive,\nto not just live longer,\nbut to live better."} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Leaky Mitral Valve: How Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Works","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/817826402001/8683d5e1-0164-45b5-80e2-340c636676fe/6ff1ad99-300c-45db-a0e0-0652b370bfa2/1280x720/match/image.jpg","uploadDate":"2022-05-20T00:00:07.748Z","embedUrl":"https://players.brightcove.net/817826402001/79bcaa57-54d7-453c-9f1f-8ab3ef7b15de/index.html?videoId=6306499415112","description":"Christian Spies, M.D., explains a minimally invasive procedure to repair a leaky mitral heart valve.","duration":"PT1M12S","transcript":"When your heart's mitral valve doesn't close properly,\nwe call this condition mitral regurgitation or a leaky mitral valve.\nWhen the mitral valve can't close properly,\nBlood can seep back and forth between the chambers of your heart\ninstead of moving efficiently to the rest of your body.\nPeople with a leaky mitral valve often struggle with day to day living.\nTheir lungs are filled up with fluid, which makes breathing and moving\na challenge.\nThey may feel fatigued, weak, and have swollen ankles.\nOver the past 16 years,\nwe've seen the rise of a procedure called transcatheter mitral valve repair\nwhich uses a mitral valve repair device.\nThrough a puncture in the right leg,\nWe're able to insert a tube that transports the repair device to the heart.\nThe two arms of the clip grasp the opposing leaflets of the mitral valve,\npulling them closer together,\nsuch that the valve stops leaking.\nQuick recovery is one of the amazing benefits of this procedure.\nPatients are often up and walking the same day.\nThey're usually released from the hospital the day after surgery."} ```