Heart bypass surgery, also known as CABG is a surgical process performed to improve poor blood flow to the heart and is needed when a person’s arteries supplying blood to heart tissue are blocked or narrowed. CAD is a heart condition caused by a build-up of fatty material within the walls of the arteries. The main motive of Coronary artery bypass grafting is to lower the risk of severe complications for people who have obstructive coronary artery disease and is performed in many urgent cases of a severe heart attack.
About CABG Procedure
Coronary artery bypass grafting process is done by using blood vessels from another part of the body and link them to blood vessels, which are above and below the narrowed artery bypassing the blocked coronary arteries. In this process, your heart surgeon attaches one end of the graft above the blockage, and the other end below the blockage. In many cases, one or else more blood vessels may be used, and it depends upon the severity and number of arteries blocked. The blood vessels are generally taken from body parts like chest, arms, and veins of the legs.
Types of CABG
There are mainly two types of CABG process, and your surgeon will determine the right type of bypass graft for you. The choice of graft by the surgeon will totally depend on several factors, counting location, the extent of the blockage, availability of arteries and veins, size of the coronary arteries, your age along with other medical conditions you have.
- On pump surgery process
To bypass the blocked coronary artery, your heart surgeon makes a large incision in the chest and temporarily stops the heart. To open the chest, your surgeon will cut the breastbone in half lengthwise and will spread it apart. Once the heart is exposed, your surgeon will insert tubes into the heart so that the blood can be pumped through the body by a heart-lung bypass machine. The bypass machine is required to pump blood while the heart is stopped. The time blood has been diverted into the bypass machine for pumping, the surgeon will stop the heart by injecting it with a cold solution. patient may need more than one bypass graft, and it depends on how many blockages and the location. After that, the doctor will check them as blood runs through them get surety of working. After the assurance surgeon will let the blood circulating through the bypass machine back into your heart and will remove the tubes to the machine. The patient’s heart will then restart on its own, or else with the help of mild electric shock.
- Off-pump CABG procedure
During the surgery, the surgeon will open the chest and will stabilize the area around the artery, which is blocked. The rest of the heart will continue to pump blood, and the heart and lung machine is kept on standby in case required. In this process, also, the patient may need one or two bypass grafts depending on the location and severity of blockages. Before the closing of the chest, the surgeon will check and examine the grafts to ensure proper working.
After surgery
Cost of Heart Bypass Surgery or Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in India ranges amid USD 4500 to USD 6000. After the surgery patient will start recovery in an intensive care unit (ICU). He/she will stay in the ICU for one to two days, and the healthcare team will closely keep track of your condition as well as vital signs. Most patients stay in the step-down unit for about three to five days. Doctors will recommend complete rest after successful CABG, and it will take about two months to recover from surgery. A patient may feel worse, and it is normal and links to the trauma of surgery. How patients feel after surgery depends on many factors :
- On patient’s overall health
- how will you take care after surgery
- the outcome of the surgery
- Care after surgery
- Patient’s health before surgery
Most patients feel better after the recovery, and consulting a surgeon is necessary if the patient experience any problems and symptoms or speed of your recovery. Keep in mind that coronary bypass surgery does not cure the heart disease that caused the blockages, as it can ease symptoms, like chest pain and shortness of breath. In many cases, a CABG procedure improves heart function and also reduces the risk of dying of heart disease.