Bill Paxton's death certificate reveals that he had a heart defect and died from it.

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The dangers of heart surgery and lessons for people with cardiovascular disease were underscored by the death of Bill Paxton.

The 61-year-old film and TV star died from a fatal stroke following heart surgery.

There is always a small risk of stroke with open heart surgery, but when it happens, it can be devastating.

In the 1990s, he played the lead in the disaster film "Twister" and went on to star in other films.

Over the years, the safety of heart surgery has improved, but it still carries a small risk, according to the chief of the cardiac transplant program at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic.

Open-heart surgery is any type of surgery where the chest is cut open and the muscles, valves, or arteries of the heart are opened.

The patient is put on a heart-lung machine, which is a mechanical pumping device that maintains the circulation and keeps oxygenated blood flowing to the body's organs.

According to the author of the Heart Health Report, problems can occur at several steps along the way that could set the stage for a stroke.

There is a danger point at the start of the surgery when the patient can be attached to the heart-lung machine.

If you have heart disease within the aorta, it can cause the blood to clot, and the clot can travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

There is a test that can be used to see if there is disease in the aorta.

It can be done by the surgeon in the operating room before the patient is put on the heart-lung machine.

The surgeon is about to take the patient off the heart-lung machine when another dangerous time occurs.

The heart is deflated when the patient is on the heart-lung machine.The amount of blood in the heart increases when it is restarted.A stroke can be caused by a blood clot in the chamber of the heart.

He says that a stroke can happen in the days after the surgery.

Changes in the blood caused by surgery can cause a stroke.

If people already have a condition that narrows the blood vessels that carry blood to the brain and head, open heart surgery can raise the stroke risk.

Get a second opinion from a cardiac interventionist.It turns out that patients who were told they needed open-heart surgery did not.