Dor Procedure
Sometimes surgery is the only solution to improve the heart’s function and stop further damage. There are several options, depending on individual need and health. The most extreme course of action is heart transplant if heart disease is acute. When the damage is not quite that severe but still serious, other procedures, such as bypass grafting (used most often, it routes the blood around the blocked artery), valve repair (repair or replacement for “leaks”), and/or Dor Procedure may be advised.
Dor Procedure – Florida Heart Surgery
The Dor procedure, also known as “modified Dor” or “infarct exclusion surgery” is a procedure that refers to aneurysm repair or the removal of dead heart tissue when a heart attack has occurred in the left ventricle (the lower left pumping chamber of the heart). Isolation or removal is necessary because the heart continues to pump blood into the compromised ventricle, and the aneurysm (caused by scarring during heart attack) bulges or balloons as the remaining healthy tissue work harders to expel the blood.
The surgeon sews a circular suture around the border of the dead tissue and the stitches are pulled together like a purse-string to isolate the tissue or close the incision from removal of the aneurysm. If the area of dead tissue is large and standard stitches are not enough to isolate the area, the surgeon may use a patch plasty to restore the heart to its elliptical shape without incising the atrium. This allows for valve replacement through the already incised ventricle, resulting in complete coronary revascularization. The patch, a clothlike mesh of manmade fibers, can also be created out of endocardial scar or the pericardium.
Consult with our Florida Cardiovascular Surgeons
Ocala Heart Institute leads the way for this area of cardiovascular surgery in Florida with locations in Venice, Leesburg, Stuart, Ocala, Citrus and Winter Haven. The only complete heart center in Citrus County, call us to meet with one of our cardiovascular surgeons. Specializing in surgery of the heart, esophagus, and blood vessels, as well as lung surgery.
