Who is a candidate for coronary artery bypass graft surgery?
The decision to prescribe medical treatment, percutaneous intervential procedures or cardiac bypass surgery depends on several factors including the extent of cardiovascular disease, the severity of symptoms, your age and other medical conditions. The cardiologist (heart specialist) and surgeon will determine the best method of therapy for each patient. What can I expect? The surgery generally lasts from three to five hours, depending on the number of arteries being bypassed. Surgical Procedure During traditional CABG surgery, a surgeon makes an incision down the center of the chest, cuts through the sternum (breastbone), and retracts the ribcage to get direct access to the heart. During surgery, the heart-lung bypass machine (called “on-pump” surgery) is used to take over for the heart and lungs during surgery, allowing the circulation of blood throughout the rest of the body. The heart’s beating is stopped so the surgeon can perform the bypass procedure on a “still” heart. • Traditio
