Cardiothoracic Surgery

Pulse Heart Institute’s board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons offer the whole range of surgical procedures to care for your heart, chest and lungs at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital, MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital and MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital.

Each year our cardiothoracic surgeons perform hundreds of procedures, from minimally invasive surgeries of the lungs and chest to endovascular procedures, such as coronary bypass and valve surgeries, as well as mechanical support of the heart.

How We Help

At Pulse Heart Institute, open-heart surgery is performed in one of the region’s most technologically advanced surgical facilities, by surgeons who are nationally recognized as being among the best in their field. They are assisted by highly skilled and experienced surgical teams that perform more than 450 open-heart surgeries every year. Thanks to their expertise, our cardiac outcomes are among the best in the nation.

Common surgeries we perform include:

Coronary Bypass Surgery: When the arteries that supply the heart are severely blocked, bypass surgery is often the best option. Sections of a vein, usually taken from the patient’s leg, are grafted onto the blocked vessels to restore full blood flow to the heart.

Valve Surgery: Damaged valves within the heart can impair its ability to pump blood. Damaged heart valves can be fixed surgically, or if necessary, replaced with new valves made of animal tissue or synthetic materials. Read more about the latest treatment option we offer to repair aortic valves, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Ventricular Assist Device implantation: Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) are mechanical pumps designed to take over the function of the heart, and are utilized when the heart is too weak to pump blood sufficiently in the critically ill patient. Historically they have been used as a short-term treatment, but in recent years, programs have developed to allow them to be used as a “destination,” or long-term, treatment. Pulse Heart Institute’s VAD program is the only non-transplant center west of the Mississippi that can offer destination VAD therapy. Read more about the program.

Puget Sound Region Open Heart Surgery Support Group

This group is designed to help those that are planning or recovering from a surgery process with the cardiothoracic clinic. The goal of this group is to better prepare our patients and caregivers for their upcoming surgery and recovery process. Meet in person at our Tacoma clinic or virtually via Teams.

For more information click here or call 253-403-9709.