PreOp® Patient Education - https://PreOp.com
Heart bypass surgery, formally known as Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), is a critical medical procedure aimed at addressing blocked coronary arteries, the key vessels supplying oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. In this life-saving operation, surgeons construct new pathways around clogged arteries using grafts - segments of blood vessels taken from other parts of the patient's body, usually the left internal mammary artery or the saphenous vein.

The heart, nestled in the chest and safeguarded by the rib cage and breastbone, relies on these coronary arteries for its blood supply. However, factors like fat and cholesterol can accumulate, forming plaque that narrows these arteries, jeopardizing the heart's oxygen supply. CABG aims to circumvent these blockages, ensuring continuous blood flow to the heart muscle.

The surgery involves several critical steps:

Harvesting grafts from the leg, thigh, or chest wall, followed by suturing and bandaging the incision sites.
A precise incision is made in the chest to expose the breastbone, which is then carefully divided.
The heart is exposed by opening the pericardium, the heart's protective membrane.
Surgeons then delicately rotate the heart for access to its underside, where most blockages occur.
New grafts are attached, bypassing the narrowed or blocked sections of the coronary arteries.
The heart is repositioned, the pericardium is closed, and drainage tubes are placed to prevent fluid accumulation.
Finally, the breastbone is wired shut, and the incision is sutured and bandaged.