Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease or CAD. CAD is caused by an accumulation of fatty substances, waste products, calcium, and the clot-making substance fibrin within the walls of the arteries. This accumulation narrows the inside of the arteries, restricting the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. Eventually, a plaque patch may rupture, resulting in the formation of a blood clot on the plaque’s surface. The area of the heart muscle supplied by the artery starts to perish if the blockage is not removed right away. If the blockage isn’t treated quickly, the portion of heart muscle fed by the artery begins to die. An undiagnosed cardiac injury might result in serious or persistent issues.
One way to treat blocked or narrowed arteries is to bypass the blocked portion of the coronary artery with a piece of a healthy blood vessel from elsewhere in the body. Blood vessels, or grafts, used for bypass surgery may be pieces of a vein from a leg or an artery in the chest. Dr. Sujay Shad is the best Heart Surgery Doctor in India and specializes in performing lifesaving heart surgeries like Heart Transplants, Coronary Bypasses, HOCM, Aortic Surgery, and Mitral Valve at Best Hospital for Heart Surgery in India, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, Delhi.
During the surgery, the doctor attaches one end of the graft above the blockage and the other end below the blockage. Then the doctor makes a large incision in the chest and temporarily stops the heart to bypass the blocked coronary artery, and then cuts the breastbone (sternum) in half lengthwise to open the chest, and spreads it apart. The doctor then inserts tubes into the heart so that the blood can be pumped through the body by a heart-lung bypass machine once the heart is exposed. The bypass machine is necessary to pump blood while the heart is stopped.
Why Does An Individual Need Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?
The doctor uses coronary artery bypass graft surgery to treat a blockage or narrowing of one or more of the coronary arteries to restore the blood supply to the heart muscle.
Symptoms of coronary artery disease may include:
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Palpitations
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in the hands and feet
- Indigestion.
What Happens During Coronary Artery Bypass?
The procedure may vary depending on the patient’s condition and the doctor’s practices. Generally, CABG follows this process:
- An individual will be asked to remove any jewelry or other objects that may interfere with the procedure.
- The anesthesiologist will continuously monitor the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and blood oxygen level during the surgery. Once an individual is sedated, a breathing tube will be put into the throat and will be connected to a ventilator during the surgery.
- A healthcare professional will insert an intravenous (IV) line in the arm or hand. Other catheters will be put in the neck and wrist to monitor heart and blood pressure, as well as to take blood samples.
- A catheter will be put into the bladder to drain urine.
- The skin over the surgical site will be cleaned with an antiseptic solution.
- Once all the tubes and monitors are in place, the doctor will make incisions in one or both of the legs or one of the wrists to access the blood vessels to be used for the grafts. He or she will remove the vessel and close those incisions.
- The doctor will make an incision below Adam’s apple to just above the navel.
- The doctor will cut the sternum in half lengthwise and will separate the halves of the breastbone and spread them apart to expose the heart.
- To sew the grafts onto the very small coronary arteries, the doctor will need to stop the heart temporarily. Tubes will be put into the heart so that blood can be pumped through the body by a heart-lung bypass machine.
- Once the blood has been diverted into the bypass machine for pumping, doctors will stop the heart by injecting it with a cold solution.
- The doctor will do the bypass graft procedure by sewing one end of a section of vein over a tiny opening made in the aorta when the heart has been stopped, and the other end over a tiny opening made in the coronary artery just below the blockage.
- An individual may need more than one bypass graft done, depending on how many blockages an individual has and where they are located. The doctor will closely check them as blood runs through them to make sure they are working after all the grafts have been completed.
- The doctor will let the blood circulating through the bypass machine back into the heart once the bypass grafts have been checked, and he or she will remove the tubes from the machine. The heart may restart on its own, or a mild electric shock may be used to restart it.
- The doctor may put temporary wires for pacing into the heart. These wires can be attached to a pacemaker and the heart can be paced.
The Possible Advantages Of Cardiac Surgery Are:
- A decreased risk of stroke
- Fewer issues with memory loss and cognitive abilities
- Reduced mortality, particularly among women and “high-risk” individuals
- Reduced blood transfusion requirements
- Reduced risk of heart damage
- Reduced hospital stays and heart rhythm issues
Possible Risks Of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Include:
- Bleeding during or after the surgery
- Infection at the incision site
- Pneumonia
- Breathing problems
- Pancreatitis
- Kidney failure
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Failure of the graft.
Schedule a Consult now with Dr. Sujay Shad, a Heart Doctor in Delhi for more information about heart health and coronary artery bypass surgery.
