1. Improvements in Heart Bypass Surgery
In 1953, Dr. John Gibson performed the first successful open heart surgery with the assistance of a cardiopulmonary bypass machine. Since then, advances in heart bypass surgery continue daily. Some of the advances are in the form of tools and machines. Many machines, such as tissue stabilizers and heart positioners, used widely today help cardiac surgeons give patients the best possible prognosis. These advances also allow surgeons to perform multiple bypasses in a single surgery. This is where the terms double bypass, triple bypass and quadruple bypass come from.
2. Who Needs Surgery?
There are many reasons for heart bypass surgery. Doctors perform heart bypass surgery on people who haven't responded well to lifestyle and diet changes such as a cardiac exercise program and heart smart diet. Doctors also perform heart bypass surgery on many people who they believe are at an imminent risk for a heart attack because of multiple clogged arteries that are causing the heart to pump inefficiently and stents haven't produced results. Some heart bypass surgeries happen because the patient has already had a heart attack and needs immediate heart bypass surgery to live a productive life.
3. Different Patients, Different Procedures
There are three main ways that doctors perform heart bypass surgery. In every surgery, the surgeon uses harvested arteries from the patient, such as a thigh artery, to replace the blocked artery. The first type of heart bypass surgery is full open heart surgery. In this case, the patient is hooked up to a heart-lung bypass machine which takes over the heart's job while the heart is allowed to stop pumping long enough for the surgeon to graft new arteries. The second type is the off pump method in which the heart is simply quieted while the surgeon grafts the new artery to a heart that is still beating. This surgery is risky and requires a very experienced surgeon. In the minimally invasive technique, the surgeon performs the bypass through several small incisions.
4. The Road to Recovery
Recovering from a heart bypass is a long process. After surgery, you can expect to be in the intensive care unit for up to two days. Once you leave the intensive care unit, you stay in a regular hospital room for about five days. Your doctor recommends limited activity for six to 12 weeks once you leave the hospital.
5. Life After a Heart Bypass Surgery
After returning home from a heart bypass surgery, you can slowly return to most of your normal activities. Regular exercise such as a cardiac rehabilitation program is good to do. Eating a low fat and low cholesterol diet is also a good idea. Stopping harmful activities such as smoking or drinking alcohol increase your chance of a long and productive life.
