DECADES OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY: A REVIEW

There has been a drastic advancement in cardiovascular surgery for the past 6 decades. Repair of valvular stenosis and regurgitation was made possible with the introduction of bioprostheses and mechanical valves. The use of variety of circulatory assist devices that include the intraaortic balloon pump, ventricular assist device and total artificial heart has greatly alleviated patient suffering in our clinics. In conducting this review, the early historical perspective of cardiovascular surgery was unveiled followed by a review of recent advances in surgical approaches to coronary artery disease, acquired valvular heart disease, and myocardial preservation. Recent devices for mechanical circulatory assistance as well as the hope of xenotransplantation were also discussed. Other advances in cardiovascular surgery involving biomolecular therapy and tissue engineering which may allow for replacement of dysfunctional tissues or to improve organ function with an assembly that contains specific populations of living cells were also enumerated.