CABG

Bypassing the blockage improves the blood supply to your heart muscle. Grafts are from either:

Arteries

• an artery from inside your chest (“internal mammary artery”)
• an artery from your arm (“radial artery”)

Veins

• a vein from your leg

Your surgeon will decide which are the best blood vessels to use for you. Sometimes they may use a combination of both arteries and veins.

During CABG/bypass surgery, the surgeon will cut through your sternum/breastbone to reach your heart. Your heart will then be connected to a heart-lung machine. This machine will take over the function of your heart and lungs, permitting the surgeon to temporarily stop your heart. The surgeon then bypasses the blocked coronary arteries by grafting either a vein or artery. Your heart is then allowed to resume beating. It is disconnected from the heart-lung machine. At the end of the operation, the breastbone is pulled together tightly with stainless steel wires. These wires will stay in for the rest of your life and are unlikely to cause any problems. The breastbone can take up to 8 weeks to mend. The operation usually takes between 3 to 5 hours.

In some cases, the surgeon can perform this operation while your heart is still beating. This is called “off-pump” coronary artery bypass surgery.

You may have additional cuts depending on what blood vessels your surgeon uses to make the grafts. If they are only using an artery from your chest, you will not have any extra cuts. But if they are using a vein, you will have a long cut (or several smaller cuts) in your leg from where the vein is taken. If they are using an artery from your arm, you will also have a cut on your arm.