A coronary artery bypass graft, (CABG) or Open Heart Surgery is done to maintain a flow of blood to your heart muscles by detouring around blocked coronary arteries. Coronary artery bypass surgery or open heart surgery will use a donor blood vessel from a different location of the same patient’s leg, chest, arms or abdomen. These are then connected as diversions around the blocked coronary arteries to restore blood flow to the heart muscle. Coronary artery disease starts when the coronary arteries get blocked with cholesterol and plaque deposits. If lifestyle changes, medication and angioplasty cannot control the disease then an open heart surgery becomes essential. CABG is just one of the different procedures done to treat coronary artery disease.
Coronary artery bypass surgery is a most important procedure with general anesthesia. The patient will be placed on a cardiopulmonary machine which will do the work of the heart and the lungs during the operation. As a result an experienced team of cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac surgery nurses, as well as a perfusion specialist, is necessary. Approximate time for the surgery can vary from 4 hours to 6 hours depending upon the number of grafts being put in.
Although the surgery is being performed quite regularly there is a risk of complications like continued bleeding, heart rhythm irregularities, infections, memory lapse, and strokes. Most patients do require a recovery period of at least 4-6 weeks before returning back to office work.
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