Coronary artery disease is a condition in which waxy plaque deposits build up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Affected patients can help prevent a heart attack and decrease chest discomfort through a surgical procedure called a heart bypass. A heart bypass, or coronary artery bypass surgery, utilizes a healthy blood vessel from another part of the patient's body to divert blood flow around the plaque-filled artery in the heart. Patients should talk with a cardiologist about the potential complications from a heart bypass that can arise after surgery.
Cognitive Decline or Memory Loss
Certain patients undergo a form of heart bypass surgery called "on-pump" surgery, in which the patient's heart is stopped, the Cleveland Clinic reports. This allows the surgeon to perform the operation on a heart that remains still and does not beat. During this form of heart bypass surgery, patients are put on a heart-lung machine, which works in place of the heart to filter and pump blood through the patient's body. Treated patients can develop memory difficulties or poor mental clarity after surgery as a complication from a heart bypass, MedlinePlus warns. These temporary cognitive deficits can persist for up to a year following surgery.
Arrhythmias
Heart bypass surgery can cause heart rate complications in treated patients. Affected patients may notice that the rate at which their heart beats is abnormally fast or slow, a complication after heart bypass surgery called arrhythmia. Patients who develop arrhythmia complications should speak with a doctor for further evaluation and care.
Bleeding or Infection
Patients who have heart bypass surgery are at an increased risk of developing bleeding or infection complications after surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center explains. Infrequently, excessive bleeding complications can require affected patients to receive a blood transfusion to restore normal blood volume levels to the body. An infection of the incision site along the chest can be uncomfortable and may result in fever, chills, pain or unusual drainage from the incision. The risk of developing an infection at the surgical incision site is increased in patients who have had heart bypass surgery in the past or are currently obese or diabetic. Additional antibiotic medication may be necessary to resolve infection complications in affected patients after heart bypass surgery.
Postpericardiotomy Syndrome
Postpericadiotomy syndrome is a complication that can arise after heart bypass surgery. This syndrome can cause affected patients to develop chest pain and a low-grade fever, which can persist for up to six months, MedlinePlus warns. Patients who experience this complication after heart bypass surgery should consult a doctor.
Stroke or Heart Attack
This surgical procedure can increase a patient's risk of experiencing life-threatening medical complications, such as heart attack or stroke, MayoClinic.com warns. A heart attack can occur if blood flow to the heart is interrupted, while a stroke can occur if blood flow to the brain is interrupted. Affected patients require immediate, emergency medical attention to prevent permanent heart or brain complications.
