Wednesday, April 6

The Necessity of Heart Surgery –Means Making an “Opening”

Certainly surgery is not high on the list of desired interventions when it comes to cardiac care. Changes in diet, exercise, cessation of smoking, and, of course, medication are oftentimes the first steps prescribed by a physician before surgery is considered. That is unless the situation is acute, and no other alternative is available at the time.

The word “surgery” comes from two Greek words which mean “to work with the hand.” But whether or not the cardiac surgery involves complete open-heart surgery, or a much smaller incision in the vein or artery, it is still “opening” people up; it’s cutting through the skin in some way.

When it comes to cardiac care, the idea of being “open” comes to mind because of the necessity for open arteries and veins for proper blood flow. The most common type of “heart” surgery is angioplasty. Many people are now familiar with this procedure, which has been around since I graduated in 1977. The original angioplasties were done by balloon only, to expand an area of a vessel which had been constricted because of a “plaque,” a fatty area surrounding the vessel which narrowed the vessel. Normally, angioplasties are done specifically on arteries which serve to bring oxygen directly to the heart muscle. Yet, like our old spiritual man rearing his head, the plaque constriction would reoccur.

Now angioplasties almost always include some sort of stent, typically a metal mesh cylinder which pushes against the sides of the vessel to keep it open. In my time as a pastor, I have prayed with many people before this procedure.  Although it is now considered minor surgery it is still surgery, it still involves an opening in the body.… And that brings risk. Most studies indicate that the risk is relatively small; about 5% have complications after angioplasty. The more invasive “coronary artery bypass graft” (CABG) has higher rates of risk because more is being opened up, like the chest!

But what’s the risk if surgeons don’t “open up” either an artery or a chest to do bypass surgery? Actually, it is not known how many people have died because they have not had these opening surgeries. But we do know that everyone dies. And not everyone is open to the Lord.

When St. Peter preached his Pentecost sermon, Scripture says that his listeners were “cut to the heart.” What if they had resisted the Holy Spirit and dulled His chief surgical tool – The Word of God? Five chapters later, we see that Stephen experienced this precise resistance to “heart surgery” – “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.” Acts 7:51 Why the resistance? Who really wants to have surgery?!?

Sadly, most people don’t realize that God has done noninvasive heart imaging on every single living person. Proverb says, “Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord, how much more the hearts of mankind!” (Prov. 15:11)  God’s promises to give us a “new heart.” (Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26; Eph. 2:10)

On the first Palm Sunday, people were reciting Psalm 118. They would sing “Open the gates of righteousness to me; I will enter through them, I will give thanks to the Lord.” Jesus was and is that Open Gate. His righteousness flows freely to those who are open to God’s heart surgery.