Cardiothoracic Surgery Program

We offer the latest heart, lung and chest surgeries, close to home for families in Bellevue, Kirkland and surrounding areas. Patients with complex and common cardiac or thoracic conditions choose our program for our exceptional outcomes and compassionate care.

When you choose Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, you can be confident that you’ll receive leading cardiothoracic surgical care. We perform hundreds of minimally invasive procedures every year and offer the only open heart surgery program on the Eastside of the Seattle area. We use the latest technology and innovative approaches to make surgeries as precise as possible, and help you go home sooner and get back to the activities you love. 

Conditions We Treat

We use cardiothoracic surgery to treat a wide variety of conditions, including:

• Aortic aneurysm.
• Aortic dissection.
• Arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation.
• Heart tumors.
• Coronary artery disease.
• Heart valve disease, including valve regurgitation and stenosis.
• Lung cancer.
• Lung infections.
• Mediastinal (chest cavity) tumors.
• Pleural disease (disease that affects the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the chest cavity).
• Traumatic injuries to the chest area.
• Thoracic outlet syndrome.
• Septal defects (holes in the heart).
• Ventricular aneurysm (weak spot in the heart’s lower chambers).

Cardiothoracic Surgical Treatments

Our surgeons can perform a wide variety of surgeries for all types of cardiothoracic conditions. You may be a candidate for minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgeries, which offer more precise surgery and faster healing times.

Cardiac (Heart) Surgery Procedures:

• Aortic aneurysm repair to remove and replace a weakened section of the aorta (the body’s largest blood vessel).
• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), including an option for a sutureless aortic heart valve for high-risk patients undergoing CABG or other heart procedures. Our surgeons quickly place the valve without needing to stitch it into place. This reduces the length of time that you’re under anesthesia and in surgery.
• Heart valve repair and replacement, including minimally invasive procedures like transcatheter (percutaneous) aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and the Ozaki procedure. Overlake is the only medical center in the western United States to offer the Ozaki procedure.
• Maze procedure to help people with atrial fibrillation have a healthy heart rhythm.
• Ventricular aneurysm repair to remove the weakened portion of the heart wall caused by heart attack.
• Septal defect repair to repair holes in the heart.

Thoracic (Chest and Lung) Surgery Procedures:

• Lung resection surgeries to remove cancer, benign tumors or infections in the lung. Most people who don't have a large tumor or another health condition are candidates for minimally invasive or robotic surgery. After minimally invasive or robotic surgery, about a third of patients go home the next day — and nearly all patients go home within three days.
• Mediastinal surgery, which is surgery in the central part of the chest that contains the heart and major blood vessels. This type of surgery may be done to treat or remove lymph nodes to diagnose and treat cancer.
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), a minimally invasive technique for biopsies and to drain fluid from the chest.

The only type of thoracic surgery we do not offer is surgery to treat esophageal cancer.

The Latest in Cardiothoracic Surgery

We offer the latest procedures with excellent outcomes. This includes some of the region’s best surgical outcomes for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and a wide variety of surgical options within our heart valve care program. Our operating rooms are equipped with the latest tools and technologies, placing us on the leading edge of healthcare and surgical technology. Our state-of-the-art facilities led by our expert care team means patients spend less time in surgery and under anesthesia, recover faster and have better outcomes.

Specialized and Personalized Care, Now and in the Future

Your care team will work together to shape a surgery plan that meets your immediate health needs and your long-term health goals. You'll be in the hands of the same surgeon before your surgery, throughout your surgery and even while you recover. They'll stay by your side providing coordinated, comprehensive, compassionate care. If you have any questions as you recover or need to quickly schedule a follow-up appointment, we're always a phone call away.

Safe Pain Relief After Surgery

Your surgical team includes highly skilled cardiothoracic anesthesiologists. These doctors provide safe sedation as you undergo surgery. After surgery, they keep you comfortable through the use of non-narcotic pain management options like nerve blocks. These approaches cause fewer side effects than potentially addictive narcotic pain medicines.

Leading Lung Cancer Care

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with lung cancer, you’ll be in expert hands with Overlake’s lung surgeons. Our surgeons have performed hundreds of lung cancer surgeries — many of which were robotic-assisted and minimally invasive — leading to quicker, more precise surgery and faster recovery.

Your treatment plan will be shaped by a team of experts including pulmonologists, oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons. Many patients have access to clinical trials through our partnership with Fred Hutch Cancer Center, giving you early access to the next generation of life-saving cancer care.

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