What Is Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting?
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a type of surgery called revascularization, used to improve blood flow to the heart in people with severe coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (the coronary arteries) become blocked due to the buildup of a material called plaque on the inside of the blood vessels. If the blockage is severe, chest pain (also called angina), shortness of breath, and, in some cases, heart attack can occur. CABG is one treatment for CAD. During CABG, a healthy artery or vein from another part of the body is connected, or grafted, to the blocked coronary artery. The grafted artery or vein bypasses (that is, it goes around) the blocked portion of the coronary artery. This new passage routes oxygen-rich blood around the blockage to the heart muscle. As many as four major blocked coronary arteries can be bypassed during one surgery. Other names for CABG are bypass surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, and
Related Questions
- What are the early outcomes of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with two- and three-vessel coronary artery disease?
- Can the added risk of stroke from combined coronary artery bypass grafting and carotid endarterectomy be predicted?
- Should patients with stenosis of the left main coronary artery waiting for bypass grafting be given priority?
