ABSTRACT
In contrast to congenital heart disease, in which surgical intervention is usually required to restore the underlying pathophysiology to normalcy, acquired cardiac disorders are often amenable to medical management. Notwithstanding this circumstance, several diseases are still best treated surgically and will probably remain so for many years to come. Acquired heart disease in which surgical management plays a prominent role forms the basis for this chapter. The first sections focus on ischemic heart disease and abnormalities of the cardiac valvular system, and on the role that surgery plays in correcting disordered physiology in these conditions. Heart failure-and the novel surgical therapies that are currently being developed-forms the basis of the next section. The final sections concentrate on diseases that require surgical attention less commonly, but in which the cardiac surgeon still renders important help in the delivery of optimal care. These disorders include cardiac dysrhythmias, pericardial disease, and cardiac tumors.
