Cardiac surgery involves surgery on the heart or heart valves. A cardiac surgeon performs heart surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass surgery, on patients who have heart disease or heart valve disorders. Reasons that may make heart surgery necessary are: coronary artery disease, congenital heart defects, disease of the heart valves, or heart attack. Some heart conditions can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle, and can be fatal.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Florida has 56 practicing cardiac surgeons. Broken out by city, cardiac surgery doctor density in Altamonte Springs is 1, in Atlantis is 3, in Belleview is 1, in Boca Raton is 1, in Bradenton is 1, in Brandon is 2, in Brooksville is 1, in Clearwater is 3, in Cocoa is 1, in Coconut Creek is 1, in Daytona Beach is 1, in Fort Lauderdale is 3, in Gainesville is 1, in Gulf Breeze is 1, in Hudson is 2, in Jacksonville is 2, in Key Largo is 1, in Lady Lake is 1, in Lake City is 1, in Lake Mary is 1, in Lake Worth is 1, in Largo is 4, in Lauderdale Lakes is 2, in Leesburg is 1, in Longwood is 1, in Loxahatchee is 1, in Marathon is 1, in Melbourne is 2, in Miami is 4, in New Port Richey is 2, in Oakland Park is 1, in Ocala is 4, in Ocoee is 2, in Orlando is 8, in Ormond Beach is 1, in Oviedo is 1, in Palm Beach Gardens is 3, in Pensacola is 2, in Pompano Beach is 1, in Port Saint John is 1, in Rockledge is 1, in Safety Harbor is 3, in Saint Augustine is 1, in Saint Petersburg is 4, in Sarasota is 1, in Sebring is 3, in South Miami is 1, in Stuart is 1, in Sun City Center is 2, in Tampa is 3, in Trinity is 1, in Vero Beach is 1, in West Palm Beach is 2, in Weston is 1, and in Winter Park is 1.

Florida’s warm and humid subtropical climate makes it a winter destination for many. Population in 2000 was 15,982,378, according to census statistics. Tallahassee, located in the north panhandle area, is the state capital. Tourism is a major industry in Florida, with Cape Canaveral, Disney World, the Everglades National Park, Universal Studios, the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast all destinations for visitors and residents. Year-round outdoor activities include camping, golf, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and boating.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Florida has a population of 17,789,864. Of this population, 3,975,071 are under the age of 18 and 2,978,335 are at or above the age of 65.