Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) is an operation that restores oxygen to your heart. CABG is a surgical procedure that reroutes blood flow around your blocked coronary artery. In the procedure, a transplanted piece of vessel, called a graft, allows blood to "bypass" the blockage in your artery. The much-needed blood simply follows a detour on its way to the heart.
Grafts are created using healthy blood vessels taken from other parts of your body. Depending on your condition, your physician will use a vessel from your chest (internal mammary artery) or remove a section from your leg (saphenous vein). Your internal mammary arteries are close to your heart. In a CABG procedure using mammary arteries, one end of the vessel remains attached to the blood source while the other end is rerouted and connected beyond the blockage in your coronary artery.
In a procedure using saphenous vein, a part of the vessel is removed from your leg. The resulting graft is like a small section of hose. One end of the graft is connected to your aorta, the large artery that feeds your coronary arteries, and the other end is connected to a point on your coronary artery just beyond the blockage. This creates a detour for oxygen-rich blood to reach you heart.
The vessels used for grafts are redundant. This means your body can compensate for their loss. If you are suffering from CAD, vessels taken from other parts of your body are more valuable to you when they're used as grafts. Your leg will still function without a section of saphenous vein and your chest will receive blood without an internal mammary artery. However, if your physician recommends CABG, your heart can't function properly without a coronary artery bypass graft.
CABG requires general anaesthesia. This means you will be asleep for the procedure. After you are anaesthetized or put to sleep, you'll receive a breathing tube through your mouth. This tube is attached to a ventilator. This machine will help you breathe during and right after the operation. Depending on the type of procedure, a heart-lung machine may also be used to continue the function of your heart and lungs while you are asleep during the operation. The number of bypasses performed during the surgery will depend on your condition and the number of blocked arteries. Three to five bypasses are common during a procedure. Nonetheless, some surgeries require as many as nine bypasses. CABG can take six to twelve hours followed by a few days of recovery in intensive hospital care.
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting is a treatment option when other measures fail, when there are multiple blockages in your arteries, or when critically blocked coronary arteries put you at imminent risk for a heart attack. CABG is surgery and is therefore associated with some risks; however, the procedure has become very common. It is one of the most effective treatments for CAD. If you have been diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease and have concerns or questions regarding CABG, discuss them with your physician and seek advice from a specialist.
Last update: 31.07.2005
