by Badash M

Animation Movie Available Related Media: Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

Surgery may be needed to treat severe CAD that is not helped by other methods. Options are:

Surgeries

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)

CABG is also known as open heart or bypass surgery. It removes a healthy blood vessel from another area of the body, such as the leg or chest. It is then connected to the damaged artery just above and below the blocked area. This lets some blood pass around the damaged area through a new pathway. More than one bypass may be needed if more than one area is blocked. Two areas are called a double bypass and three are called a triple bypass, for example. Surgery does not cure CAD. A healthful lifestyle and medicine will still be needed.

Types of CABG are:

  • Traditional CABG—the heart is stopped and a heart-lung machine is used to take over the job of the heart until surgery is done
  • Off-pump CABG—a heart-lung machine is not used; surgery is done while the heart is still beating
  • Minimally invasive direct CABG—uses smaller incisions, but may not be right for some people

Other Procedures

Blocked arteries may be opened with:

  • Coronary angioplasty —also called a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A tube is inserted into the artery in the groin. It is passed up to blockage in the heart. balloon is inflated and deflated. This opens the artery and improves blood flow.
    Balloon Angioplasty
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  • Stent —A mesh stent may be placed in the artery during angioplasty. This will help to keep it open. The stent may be coated with a medicine. It will help to prevent the blockage from coming back.
  • Atherectomy —A tube is passed through blood vessels to the heart. When the blockage is reached, a tool is used to slice the plaque away.

References

C-reactive protein (CRP) as cardiac risk factor. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/evaluation/c-reactive-protein-crp-as-cardiac-risk-factor. Accessed April 27, 2022.

Coronary artery disease (CAD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/coronary-artery-disease-cad. Accessed April 27, 2022.

What is coronary heart disease? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease. Accessed April 27, 2022.

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