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Heart care goes beyond any single procedure — from atrial fibrillation and heart failure to recovery, risk scores, and choosing the right surgeon. Browse everything else our Heart Team has written.

63 articles

Coronary Surgery Aortic Valve Mitral Valve Aortic Surgery Other Conditions

Second Opinions

How to Evaluate Cardiac Surgery Hospital Quality: A Surgeon's Guide to Rankings and Star Ratings

Not all cardiac surgery programs are created equal. A cardiac surgeon explains what heart surgery hospital rankings actually mean, how to read STS star ratings, and the questions that separate the best cardiac surgery centers from the rest.

Rahul R. Handa, MDJuly 28, 2026

Risk Assessment

Understanding EuroSCORE II: What Your European Cardiac Surgery Risk Score Really Means

EuroSCORE II is one of the most widely used tools for estimating the risk of dying from heart surgery. Here is what the numbers mean, how they are calculated, and how to interpret your score without panic or false reassurance.

Rahul R. Handa, MDJuly 28, 2026

Diagnostics

Understanding Your Echocardiogram: A Cardiologist's Guide to TTE, TEE, and What the Numbers Mean

An echocardiogram is often the first test that reveals a heart problem serious enough to require surgery. Here is how to read your report, understand the difference between TTE and TEE, and know which numbers actually drive treatment decisions.

Other Conditions

How to Evaluate Cardiac Surgery Hospital Quality: A Surgeon's Guide to Rankings and Star Ratings

Understanding EuroSCORE II: What Your European Cardiac Surgery Risk Score Really Means

Understanding Your Echocardiogram: A Cardiologist's Guide to TTE, TEE, and What the Numbers Mean

Living Well with Atrial Fibrillation: A Practical Guide to Medical Management

Understanding Your Preoperative Cardiac Assessment: A Surgeon's Guide for Patients

Cardiac Rehabilitation After Heart Surgery: A Surgeon's Guide to Getting Your Life Back

Living Well With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Cardiologist's Guide to Ongoing Management

Cardiac MRI for Cardiomyopathy: What the Images Reveal That Other Tests Miss

Should I Get a Second Opinion Before Heart Surgery? A Cardiac Surgeon's Honest Answer

Concierge Cardiology Explained: What Direct Physician Access Really Means for Heart Patients

How to Evaluate Cardiac Surgery Hospital Quality: A Surgeon's Guide to Rankings, Ratings, and What Actually Matters

The Fear of Movement After Heart Surgery: Why Exercise Is Your Best Medicine

Statins and Cholesterol Management Before and After Heart Surgery: What Patients Need to Know

Hypertension Management for Cardiac Patients: What Your Blood Pressure Really Means Before and After Surgery

Understanding EuroSCORE II: What Your Cardiac Surgery Risk Score Really Means

Concierge Cardiology: What Direct Physician Access Really Means for Heart Patients

Tricuspid Valve Surgery: Understanding Your TR Repair Options

How to Evaluate Cardiac Surgery Hospital Quality: A Surgeon's Honest Guide

How to Evaluate Cardiac Surgery Hospital Quality: A Surgeon's Guide to Reading the Numbers

When Your Heart Skips a Beat: Understanding Cardiac Event Monitoring

Understanding Your STS Score: What Cardiac Surgery Risk Numbers Really Mean

Concierge Cardiology Explained: What Direct Physician Access Really Means for Heart Patients

Understanding EuroSCORE II: What This European Cardiac Surgery Risk Score Means for Your Operation

Mechanical vs. Bioprosthetic Heart Valve: How to Choose

What to Expect the Day of Open-Heart Surgery

When Chest Pain Is - and Isn't - an Emergency

Cardiomyopathy Types Explained: Dilated, Hypertrophic, and Restrictive

The Value of a Second Opinion: What the Studies Show

AFib and Stroke Prevention: Making Sense of Your Anticoagulation Choices

LVAD vs Heart Transplant: The Basics for Patients and Families

Medication Management After Cardiac Surgery: What to Expect

Alternatives to Open-Heart Surgery: What's Actually Possible

Reading Hospital Quality: How to Understand STS Star Ratings for Heart Surgery

How to Choose a Cardiac Surgeon and Judge a Heart Center's Quality

Recovery After Heart Valve Surgery: What the First Months Really Look Like

Questions to Ask Before You Consent to Heart Surgery

Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Understanding the Causes and Managing the Condition

Why You Should Get a Second Opinion Before Heart Surgery

Cardiac Surgery After 80: How Age Really Affects the Decision

The Surgical Maze Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation: A Patient's Guide

Cardiac MRI for Cardiomyopathy and Structural Heart Disease

Blood Thinners After Valve Replacement: What Anticoagulation Really Involves

Resistant Hypertension: What to Do When Blood Pressure Won't Budge

Understanding Your Echocardiogram: TTE vs TEE Explained

Watchman and Left Atrial Appendage Closure for AFib: A Patient Guide

Redo (Reoperative) Cardiac Surgery: Risks and Key Considerations

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Living Well With Ongoing Management

Atrial Fibrillation: Rate Control vs Rhythm Control

Heart Failure and GDMT: The Four Medications That Change Outcomes

Concierge Cardiology: Why Direct Physician Access Changes Outcomes for Heart Patients

Cardiac Event Monitoring and Ambulatory ECG: What Your Heart Is Doing When You Leave the Doctor's Office

Hypertension Management for Cardiac Patients: What Your Blood Pressure Numbers Really Mean for Your Heart

Cholesterol Management and Statin Therapy: What Every Heart Patient Needs to Know Before Surgery

Preoperative Cardiac Assessment: What Your Heart Needs Before Any Major Surgery

EuroSCORE II Explained: What This European Cardiac Surgery Risk Score Means for Your Heart Surgery Decision

Heart Valve Surgery Recovery: A Realistic Timeline and What to Expect at Every Stage

Cardiac Rehabilitation After Heart Surgery: A Surgeon's Guide to Safe Recovery Through Exercise

Life After Heart Valve Surgery: What Recovery Really Looks Like Month by Month

Life After Heart Valve Surgery: A Surgeon's Guide to What Recovery Really Looks Like

How Cardiac Surgeons Actually Use Risk Scores to Make Decisions — And What That Means for You

Tricuspid Regurgitation: When You Need Surgery and What Your Options Are

Heart Valve Surgery Recovery: A Surgeon's Timeline for Getting Back to Your Life

Why 70% of Cardiac Second Opinions Change the Treatment Plan

Facing a heart surgery decision?