How is Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery Done? | Heart Bypass Surgery

What is Heart Bypass Surgery (CABG)? Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease. A healthy artery or vein from another part of the body is grafted to the blocked coronary artery. The grafted artery or vein bypass the blocked coronary artery restoring blood flow to the heart muscles On-Pump Procedure During Conventional CABG, An incision is made in the skin over the breastbone (sternum) The sternum is cut and ribcage is moved to reach the heart The circulatory system is connected to a cardiopulmonary bypass pump, or heart- lung machine The bypass machine is necessary to pump blood while the heart is stopped For the saphenous vein graft, one end is sutured to the aorta and the other end to the narrowed artery, just beyond the blockage For the internal mammary artery graft, the lower end of the artery is cut from inside the chest and sewn over an opening made in the coronary below the blockage Once the heart is again beating normally, the heart lung machine is disconnected The breastbone is wired back together, and the skin incision is sutured A temporary drainage tube is placed through the skin, beneath the incision Off- Pump Procedure Once the chest is opened, the area around the artery is stablised for the bypass The rest of the heart will continue to function and pump blood through the body Bypass graft procedure is performed Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass (MIDCAB) This surgery is similar to off-pump CABG Instead of a large incision to open the chest bone, several small incisions are made on the left side of the chest between the ribs This type of surgery mainly is used for bypassing the blood vessels in front of the heart Speak to your doctor for more information on Coronary Heart Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG)