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Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Definition 1
Surgery performed to bypass partially or completely occluded coronary arteries, thereby increasing the blood supply of the heart. (NCI Thesaurus)
Definition 2
Surgery in which a healthy blood vessel taken from another part of the body is used to make a new path for blood around a blocked artery leading to the heart. This restores the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart. (NCI Dictionary)
More information
In coronary artery disease (CAD), the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart muscle grow hardened and narrowed. You may try treatments such as lifestyle changes, medicines, and angioplasty, a procedure to open the arteries. If these treatments don't help, you may need coronary artery bypass surgery.
The surgery creates a new path for blood to flow to the heart. The surgeon takes a healthy piece of vein from the leg or artery from the chest or wrist. Then the surgeon attaches it to the coronary artery, just above and below the narrowed area or blockage. This allows blood to bypass (get around) the blockage. Sometimes people need more than one bypass.
The results of the surgery usually are excellent. Many people remain symptom-free for many years. You may need surgery again if blockages form in the grafted arteries or veins or in arteries that weren't blocked before. Lifestyle changes and medicines may help prevent arteries from becoming clogged again. (NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also called: Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, CABG, Bypass surgery, Coronary artery bypass graft
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