Coronary artery bypass grafting or surgery is often abbreviated as CABG, pronounced “cabbage.” It is a procedure to reroute blood from the clogged artery to other parts of the heart to improve blood flow and oxygen to the heart. According to the Mayo Clinic, having coronary artery bypass surgery can reduce the risk of having a heart attack for those who are considered high risk.
Indications
When an artery becomes blocked, the heart cannot get the blood and oxygen, which can result in chest pain and/or a heart attack. According to the Mayo Clinic, patients who are candidates for the surgery have extreme chest pain when at rest or with very light activity. The patient has more than one blocked artery, the patient’s left ventricle is not functioning well, the left coronary artery is blocked, if the patient had an angioplasty procedure that failed and/or the artery with the stent has become narrow or blocked again.
Procedure
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons explains that coronary artery bypass surgery is a three- to six-hour surgery performed by cardiothoracic surgeons. An incision, called a median sternotomy, is made down the chest and through the breastbone. This incision allows the surgeon to view the heart and the aorta. The patient is connected to a heart lung machine, which functions for the heart and lungs. Once the bypass is complete, the patient is taken off the heart lung machine, and the patient’s heart and lungs take over. The surgery requires a healthy blood vessel that is six to seven inches in length. The blood vessel is taken from the patient’s abdomen, chest, leg or arm. This new blood vessel will be connected to other arteries in the patient’s heart so that blood flow is rerouted, or bypassed, from the clogged artery to other parts of the heart. Generally a leg vein called the saphenous vein is used. In the 1970s and 1980s, surgeons found that the internal thoracic artery is more effective at staying open longer than the saphenous vein. According to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, today most surgeries are done using a combination of the thoracic artery and the saphenous vein.
After Surgery
After surgery, patients stay in the intensive care unit to be monitored for a day or two. A breathing tube will stay in overnight or for a few hours, depending on when the patient can breathe on his own. The patient will then stay in the hospital for a few more days and can be discharged from the hospital if no infections are present. The Mayo Clinic estimates recovery to be about six to 12 weeks. The patient’s doctor will go over a specific list of what the patient can and cannot do, depending on the patient’s current state of health.
