Heart surgeons at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee are now performing off‑pump coronary artery bypass, a beating‑heart version of bypass surgery that lets them graft around blocked arteries without stopping the heart. A 77‑year‑old Clermont patient who had four blocked arteries was discharged a week after his operation and says he was back to music, writing, and golf five months later.
As reported by WFTV, patient Bill Delia said, “It boggled my mind that someone could do this kind of surgery while the heart was still pumping away.” The station also quoted Dr. Steven Hoff, identified as the hospital’s chief of cardiac surgery, saying the technique lets surgeons avoid the heart‑lung machine and can speed recovery for the right patients.
How the beating‑heart operation differs
Off‑pump coronary artery bypass grafting (often called OPCAB or beating‑heart surgery) uses stabilizing devices and highly targeted techniques so surgeons can sew grafts while the heart keeps beating, instead of putting the patient on cardiopulmonary bypass. A recent review in PubMed Central describes how the approach was developed to reduce complications linked to the heart‑lung machine and to better match the procedure to each patient’s anatomy and risk profile.
Who may benefit and what the evidence shows
HCA’s team told the station that older patients and those with conditions such as atrial fibrillation, like Delia, are among those who may be considered for this approach, according to WFTV. Dr. Hoff said that, in experienced hands, off‑pump surgery can cut early complications and mortality by roughly 20 percent. At the same time, large randomized trials, including the CORONARY study reported via NEJM/PubMed, have shown mixed long‑term results, underscoring that outcomes depend heavily on surgeon experience and careful patient selection.
What this means for Osceola patients
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital lists a growing Heart & Vascular program and an open‑heart service on its site, bringing more advanced cardiac care into Kissimmee instead of sending patients to Orlando. The hospital’s directory also lists Dr. Steven Hoff as a cardiac surgeon affiliated with the system, providing local surgical leadership and continuity of care…