HEART BYPASS SURGERY

NORMAL ANATOMY

The heart muscle is supplied blood through the coronary arteries. The left coronary artery supplies blood to the left ventricle. The right coronary artery supplies blood to the right ventricle.

INDICATION

Coronary artery bypass grafting or heart bypass surgery is recommended when one or more coronary arteries are seriously blocked and blood supply to the heart muscle is insufficient.

PROCEDURE

Although we know that the "heart" itself is not "opened", the heart-lung bypass machine is used in order to re-route the blood from the heart while the surgery is being done to provide adequate circulation to the brain and other vital organs.

Coronary bypass surgery is an open heart surgery (the chest is opened, but not the heart itself). It is done through an opening through the breast bone. While one surgeon is working on the chest, another surgeon works on taking a length of vein for the bypass through a long incision along the inside of the lower leg. The vein is sewn in above and below the blockage in the coronary artery. Alternatively, an artery from the interior aspect of the chest wall (internal mammary artery), or the arm (radial artery) is used.

AFTERCARE

After the operation, the patient will spend 7 to 10 days in the hospital, the first 1 to 3 days in an intensive-care unit (ICU). Chest tubes will be in place for the first 2 to 3 days to drain any residual blood and fluid from around the heart. Heart functions will be monitored.