Understanding Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

​Coronary artery bypass surgery is a procedure that creates a new path to allow blood to flow around (bypass) a blocked or partially blocked artery in the heart. During the surgery, a healthy blood vessel is obtained from the chest or leg area and connected below the blocked heart artery to boost blood flow to the heart muscle. Also known as coronary artery bypass grafting, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or heart bypass surgery, the surgery helps to boost the heart’s function, especially for patients who’ve suffered a heart attack or those at an increased risk of heart attack.

Blocked arteries are caused by coronary heart disease, which causes a waxy substance known as plaque to accumulate/build up inside the arteries, which play a vital role in supplying blood to the heart. When plaque accumulates, it can cause a blood clot, and if quick action is not taken, the heart muscles, which rely on the proper functioning of the artery, can begin to die. Even though coronary artery bypass surgery doesn’t cure the heart disease that causes artery blockage, it helps lower discomfort caused by shortness of breath and chest pain.

Individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass surgery include those with severe narrowing of the main heart artery and severe chest pain due to narrowing of multiple heart arteries. Others include those with a blocked heart artery, which cannot be treated using coronary angioplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter to widen an affected artery.

American Health Council’s Best in Medicine Award, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner, Sugeon

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