Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Coronary bypass surgery reroutes blood around a section of a heart artery that is obstructed or partially clogged. During the treatment, a healthy blood vessel is removed from your leg, arm, or chest and connected below and above the heart’s obstructed arteries. Blood flow to the heart muscle is improved using a new pathway.
The cardiac condition that led to the blockages, such as atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease, is not treated by coronary bypass surgery. It can, however, reduce symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain. This surgery can enhance heart health and lower the chance of dying from heart disease in some patients.
Description
What is an Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery?
Coronary bypass surgery reroutes blood around a section of a heart artery that is obstructed or partially clogged. During the treatment, a healthy blood vessel is removed from your leg, arm, or chest and connected below and above the heart’s obstructed arteries. Blood flow to the heart muscle is improved using a new pathway.
The cardiac condition that led to the blockages, such as atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease, is not treated by coronary bypass surgery. It can, however, reduce symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain. This surgery can enhance heart health and lower the chance of dying from heart disease in some patients.
Why do I need an Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery?
Like all organs in the body, the heart needs a constant supply of blood.
This is supplied by 2 large blood vessels called the left and right coronary arteries.
Over time, these arteries can become narrowed and hardened by the build-up of fatty deposits called plaques.
This process is known as atherosclerosis.
People with atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries are said to have coronary heart disease.
Your chances of developing coronary heart disease increase with age.
You’re also much more likely to be affected if:
- you smoke
- you’re overweight or obese
- you have a high-fat diet
Coronary heart disease can cause angina, which is chest pain that happens when the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart becomes restricted.
While angina can often be treated with medicine, severe angina may require a coronary artery bypass graft to improve the blood supply to the heart.
Another risk associated with coronary heart disease is the possibility of one of the plaques in the coronary artery rupturing (splitting), creating a blood clot.
If the blood clot blocks the blood supply to the heart, it can trigger a heart attack.
A coronary artery bypass graft may be recommended to reduce your chances of having a heart attack.
