What is coronary artery bypass graft surgery?
In coronary artery bypass graft surgery, the surgeon removes a section of a patient’s blood vessel from another part of the body and makes a bypass so blood can travel around a blockage in an artery to the heart. The surgery relieves symptoms, such as anginal chest pain, and prevents future heart attacks. This surgery may be risky because the surgeon must stop the heart while creating the bypass. Risk increases if a patient who needs this type of surgery also has other serious diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and blood vessel blockages in the brain and other parts of the body. If the patient is suffering an acute heart attack, the surgeon must perform this type of surgery as an emergency procedure, which is even riskier. OHSU expertise with coronary artery bypass graft surgery Patients and referring providers throughout Oregon recognize OHSU’s expertise in cardiac surgery. Patients who come to OHSU because they are having an acute heart attack or their condition
