But not every heart procedure works that way.

Some heart problems can be treated through small openings in the chest, while others can be treated through blood vessels using thin tubes called catheters.

For example, in a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), surgeons create a new route for blood to flow around a blocked coronary artery. A blood vessel from another part of the body can be used to make this new pathway.

There are also procedures for repairing or replacing heart valves, correcting certain congenital heart defects, and treating abnormal heart rhythms.

And here’s something interesting: during some major heart operations, a heart-lung bypass machine may temporarily take over the work of the heart and lungs. It keeps blood circulating and supplies it with oxygen while surgeons operate.

So, heart surgery isn't just one procedure. It is a whole group of highly specialized procedures designed to solve different problems.