Coronary bypass surgery is a procedure that restores blood flow to your heart muscle by diverting the flow of blood around a section of a blocked artery in your heart.
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the narrowing of the coronary arteries – the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. CAD is caused by a build-up of fatty material within the walls of the arteries. This build-up narrows the inside of the arteries, limiting the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. One way to treat the blocked or narrowed arteries is to bypass the blocked portion of the coronary artery with a piece of a healthy blood vessel from elsewhere in your body. Blood vessels, or grafts, used for the bypass procedure may be pieces of a vein from your leg or an artery in your chest. Blood bypasses the blockage by going through the new graft to reach the heart muscle. This is called coronary artery bypass surgery. Coronary bypass surgery doesn't cure the heart disease that caused the blockages, such as atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease. However, it can ease symptoms, such as chest pain and shortness of breath. For some people, this procedure can improve heart function and reduce the risk of dying of heart disease.
There are different types of bypass surgeries and the cardiac surgeon will decide on the one depending on the numbers of arteries that are blocked.
When plaque starts building up on the walls of the artery, the artery becomes narrow. As a result, the flow of blood to the heart becomes restricted. The muscles of the heart become exhausted when they do not receive the amount of blood needed for proper functioning. This might lead to heart failure. In this kind of situation, the left ventricle is most affected and this is the heart’s primary pump. Heart bypass surgery is recommended when the coronary arteries become excessively narrowed and blocked. The risks of heart attack increase manifold times in such occurrences. This health condition is known as atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease. When the blockage or damage is not possible to be cured by medication or other kinds of treatments, bypass surgery is the only way out.