Although the heart itself is not "opened", the heart-lung bypass machine is used to re-route the blood from the heart while the surgery is being done to provide adequate circulation to the brain and other vital organs.
Reviewed last on: 5/15/2008
Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.