When more than one coronary artery is blocked, coronary artery bypass surgery may be recommended, according to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Bypass surgery re-establishes blood flow to the heart by bypassing the blockages. This provides relief from chest pain produced by the heart muscle. Bypass surgery is not without complications.
Chest Wall Infection
In order to access the heart, the surgeon must open the chest. Opening the chest entails an incision from the top of the breast bone or sternum, to the end of the breast bone.The surgeon will then cut fat and muscle away from the sternum. Once the sternum is completely exposed, it is necessary to saw the sternum in half, going lengthwise with a surgical saw. Once that is done the heart is exposed and work can begin. This extensive dissection or cutting away of tissue can cause infection.
One of the usual conduits used in bypass is the left internal mammary artery, or the chest wall artery on the left side. This artery provides the blood supply to the chest muscles and tissues. One end of it is separated away from the chest wall and placed on the heart. If the chest wall does not have other good sources of blood supply tissue death and infection can develop, according to Merck Manuals Online Medical Library.
Brain Fog
Cardiopulmonary bypass is required in order to work on the heart in a bloodless field. This means that tubes are placed in the aorta and the right atrium of the heart and all blood is transferred to those tubes. The blood runs through the cardiopulmonary bypass machine and is oxygenated. According to the American Heart Association, one of the presumed complications of using the cardiopulmonary bypass machine is cognitive decline or brain fog. Patients have memory deficits and diminished cognitive ability that shows up later in the postoperative course.
Heart Attack
Patients who undergo cardiac surgery are at risk for heart attacks during and after surgery. The first 24 to 72 hours post-operatively are the most critical. A patient will be monitored in the intensive care unit and then moved to a specialized floor where the heart rhythms are monitored. Constriction of the newly placed bypasses is often the reason for a heart attack. Most patients are placed on medications to keep the arteries dilated immediately after surgery. According to the Merck, 1 percent of patients suffer a heart attack after bypass surgery.
Member Comments