According to the NHS, each year 28,000 people in the UK will have coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG. Of these thousands of patients who need to undergo the procedure, almost 80% will be men over the age of 60.
Coronary artery bypass surgery is needed to treat heart disease and reduce the risk of heart attacks. In some cases it is a planned surgery, done after other treatment methods or lifestyle changes have not improved the patient’s heart health. In other cases coronary artery bypass surgery is done as an emergency treatment after the person has already suffered a heart attack.
Patients who need coronary artery bypass surgery have one or more blocked blockages in the arteries that are cutting off the flow of blood and endangering the life of the person. If blood is not able to flow it can inhibit or even prevent the heart from pumping blood through the circulatory system. Circulating blood is also the way that oxygen reaches the various organs and body systems. If blood is not properly circulating, vital organs, including the heart and brain, can quickly begin to shut down and die.
Coronary artery bypass surgery helps by replacing the blocked or hardened arteries with a graft. A graft is a blood vessel taken from another part of the body, usually the leg or chest, and used to divert around the blocked or hardened section of the artery. This allows the blood to once again flow and circulate properly. According to the NHS, most surgeons will perform several grafts so that the surgery does not have to be repeated in the future.
During the coronary artery bypass surgery the patient’s vital organs and systems may be supported by machines, so that the body continues to function even in surgery. Many surgeons also use a special cooling technique which lowers the body temperature during the surgery. Once the operation is completed the patient’s body temperature is brought back up to normal. This technique has proven to increase the survival rate for many coronary artery bypass surgery patients.
Often doctors and patients will refer to double bypass or triple bypass surgery. This refers to the number of heart vessels operated on. The aorta is the main artery and divides into two vessels, plus the other artery, which makes a total of three heart vessels. If a surgeon operates on two of the vessels it is called a double bypass surgery, and if they operate on all three it is a triple bypass surgery.
Patients may have to repeat the coronary artery bypass surgery in the future if needed. This is sometime necessary if a replacement graft becomes blocked.
After coronary artery bypass surgery a patient can expect to spend a certain number of days in a special coronary ICU. It is important that the patient’s heart is monitored after surgery as well as the other vital organs and body systems. Once released from the hospital the patient will receive special instructions. Often they are not allowed to drive for the first six weeks or so as a sudden hit to the chest, for example from a steering column, could cause serious injury to the recovering heart. The patient should follow any restrictions and return for required check-ups. Most will need to make changes in their diet and exercise, so that they can get the most benefit out of the coronary artery bypass surgery.
Coronary artery bypass surgery is the most common type of heart surgery. It is called bypass surgery because the blood flow to the heart is restored through a new route or bypass around a section of clogged or diseased arteries.
Heart muscles always require oxygen rich blood to enable it to carry out its functions properly. Coronary artery bypass surgery involves sewing a section of vein from leg, or artery from chest or other part of the body to bypass a part of the diseased coronary artery. This creates a new clear route for the blood to flow into the heart with oxygen rich blood.
A heart-lung machine is used during surgery to send the blood as the sternum is divided and the heart is stopped during the surgery process. However, unlike other forms of heart surgery, the chambers of the heart are not opened during the surgical process. Unless the situation calls for emergency action, a coronary artery bypass surgery is always carried out when the patient is mentally and physically prepared and ready for the surgery. Doctors are careful to note symptom of cough, cold, fever, flu or any such conditions before taking a final call on the surgery as such conditions can lead to infections and complications.
A heart-lung machine is crucial equipment while carrying out a coronary artery bypass surgery. It carries out the functions of the heart and lungs when the heart is stopped during the operation. A blood thinning medicine or anticoagulant is administered to the patient to prevent the blood from clotting during the process. Depending on the number of bypasses needed, the surgery can last fro two to six hours. Patients are required to stay in the hospital for at least a week’s time including a three day stay in an intensive care unit to guard the patient against infections.
Those who work in office can expect to resume work within four to six weeks. For those who do physically demanding jobs the wait will be longer. In addition such patients need to take precautions so that there is minimum exertion.
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