Coronary Artery Disease

What Is CABG Surgery? - Coronary Bypass Surgery in India

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, or CABG, is a common type of heart surgery. This short explains what the procedure is and why you might need it to treat blocked arteries.

What is CABG surgery

CABG is a procedure to improve blood flow to the heart muscle when its supply arteries are blocked.

• The problem. Coronary arteries can become narrow or blocked by fatty deposits. This reduces blood flow to the heart muscle.
• The solution. A surgeon takes a healthy blood vessel from another part of your body, such as your leg or chest. This is called a graft.
• The bypass. The surgeon attaches the graft to the coronary artery, creating a new path for blood to flow around the blockage.
• The result. This restores blood flow to the heart muscle, which can relieve chest pain and other symptoms of coronary artery disease.

When is CABG surgery recommended

A specialist may recommend CABG surgery for several reasons.

• Severe chest pain. It is often considered for people with angina that does not improve with medication or other treatments.
• Multiple blockages. You may be a candidate if you have several diseased coronary arteries, making other treatments like stenting less suitable.
• Heart function. The surgery may be advised if the main pumping chamber of your heart, the left ventricle, is not working well due to poor blood supply.
• Emergency treatment. In some cases, CABG is performed as an emergency procedure after a heart attack if other treatments are not appropriate.

What the procedure involves

CABG is a major operation performed under general anaesthesia.

• The operation. The surgeon usually makes an incision down the centre of the chest to access the heart. In some cases, less invasive methods can be used.
• Heart-lung machine. Often, your heart is stopped during the surgery. A heart-lung bypass machine keeps blood and oxygen circulating through your body.
• Creating the bypass. The surgeon then harvests the blood vessel for the graft and carefully stitches it into place.
• Recovery in hospital. After surgery, you will spend time in an intensive care unit for close monitoring. A typical hospital stay is about a week.

Whether CABG surgery is the right option for you depends on your specific condition, the number and location of blockages, and your general health. A final decision can only be made after a cardiac specialist has reviewed your medical reports and recent imaging.