Its activity is mainly focused on:

• All the diagnostic and therapeutic processes related to the cardiovascular system.
• The organization and management of the health systems and structures needed to carry out this activity
• The organization and management of the teaching systems related to the specialty
• The accreditation of specialist professionals
• The organization of professional societies and participation groups in administrative and/or political health institutions, both national and local. 

Scope of Cardiac Surgery
Cardiac surgery includes the preoperative, perioperative and postoperative processes in the following pathology groups:

• Acquired abnormalities of the heart, pericardium and large vessels
• Congenital anomalies of the heart and large vessels
• Pathology of the thoracic aorta
• Pathology of the supra-aortic trunks
• Circulatory assistance
• Heart transplant
• Heart-lung transplant

 In order to carry out this activity, it is necessary to be able to perform the essential procedures and techniques listed below:

Portfolio of services
Preoperative, perioperative and postoperative process in the following pathology groups:

Congenital and acquired pathologies of cardiac valves that generate:

• Significant stenosis or insufficiencies of the aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve or pulmonary valve.
• Infections of any of the four valves
• Pathologies of other anatomical regions of the heart that affect some of the valves
• Dysfunction, thrombosis or infection of prosthetic valves previously implanted
• Iatrogenic disease of any cardiac valve

Congenital anomalies of the adult heart

• Abnormal drainage
• Defects of the atrial septum and ventricular septum
• Defects of the large vessels
• Valvular anomalies

Pathology of the aorta in the thoracic segments

• Atherosclerotic aneurysms
• Aneurysms associated with connective tissue diseases
• Acute or chronic arterial dissections
• Mycotic aneurysms
• Arterial pseudoaneurysms
• Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta
• (These pathologies will be addressed if they affect any of the following segments: aortic root, tubular aorta, aortic arch and ascending thoracic aorta)

Ischemic (coronary) heart disease

• Significant coronary disease of one, two, or all three major coronary arteries
• Severe coronary disease of the left coronary trunk
• Mechanical complications after a heart attack

Pathologies of the pericardium

• Severe pericardial effusion (“fluid around the heart”)
• Purulent pericarditis
• Constrictive pericarditis

Pathologies of the myocardium

• Left dilated cardiomyopathy with ventricular dysfunction
• Infiltrative cardiomyopathy
• Advanced left or right ventricular dysfunction with poor functional class
• Benign or malignant cardiac tumours
• Penetrating or blunt cardiac trauma
• Acute or chronic thromboembolic disease
• Ventricular and supraventricular cardiac arrhythmias
• Pleural pathologies