Surgical and Other Procedures for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

CABG is also known as open heart or bypass surgery. It is the most common type of heart surgery in the US.

A healthy blood vessel is removed from another area of the body. (A vein if it is from the leg, an artery if it is taken from the chest.) The healthy blood vessel is connected to the damaged artery. It is placed just above and just below the blocked area. This allows some blood to pass around the damaged area through the new pathway. If more than one area is blocked, a bypass can be done for each area. Two areas are called a double bypass, three is called triple bypass and so on.

Types of CABG include:

• Traditional CABG
  • The heart is stopped for surgery.
  • A heart-lung machine takes over the job of the heart until surgery is done.
• Off-pump CABG
  • No heart-lung machine is needed.
  • The surgeon works on the heart while it is still beating.
• Minimally invasive direct CABG
  • Small incisions are made along the left side of the chest.
  • May not be an option for everyone or widely available.

Talk to your doctor about which option is better for you. Although CABG may relieve symptoms, it does not cure heart disease. You still must maintain a healthy lifestyle. That includes reaching a healthy weight, heart healthy diet, not smoking, and taking medicine as needed.