Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, sometimes just called bypass, is a procedure that enables a blocked area of the coronary artery to be bypassed so that blood flow is not hindered. In essence, CABG surgery restores blood flow to heart tissue that has been deprived of blood because of coronary artery disease. During bypass surgery, a healthy artery or vein is taken from the leg, arm, or chest and transferred to the outside of the heart. The new healthy artery or vein then carries the oxygenated blood around the blockage in the coronary artery. CABG surgery is usually performed in people with a blocked left main coronary artery, disease in several vessels (arteries or veins), poor function in the heart’s main pumping chamber (the lower chamber or left ventricle), and debilitating chest pain (also called angina). The CABG surgery is done to relieve symptoms of coronary artery disease, alleviate ischemia (lack of blood to the heart muscle), reduce the possibility of more heart problems, and to prolong life. CABG procedures substantially improve symptoms in more than 90% of patients who undergo the treatment.