(CABG)

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

Coronary artery bypass grafting is a surgery in which arteries or veins are taken from other areas of your body and sewn in place to bypass (that is, go around) blocked coronary arteries. This provides a new route for blood flow to the heart muscle.

Heart Bypass Surgery known as the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is the surgical treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD). It is a safe procedure that is mostly performed for treating Coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary artery disease is due to the hardening and narrowing (atherosclerosis) of the coronary arteries. Actually the arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) can become clogged by plaque (a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances). This can slow or stop oxygen-rich blood to flow through the heart’s blood vessels. If left untreated, this may lead to chest pain and a heart attack. Coronary Bypass Surgery is a way to treat these blocked heart arteries by creating new passages for blood to flow to your heart muscle. In this process a surgeon uses a segment of a healthy blood vessel (either an artery or vein) from another part of the body (called grafts) and uses it to create a detour or bypass around the blocked portion of the coronary artery. As a result, oxygen-rich blood can flow more freely to nourish the heart muscle. This surgery is usually performed with the heart stopped, necessitating the usage of cardiopulmonary bypass; techniques are available to perform CABG on a beating heart, so-called “off-pump” surgery. Depending on the number of blocked coronary arteries, a patient may need one, two, three or more bypasses.