Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Also called: Bypass surgery, CABG, Coronary artery bypass graft Summary 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 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Find an Expert American Heart Association American Heart Association National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Coronary Artery Bypass National Institutes of Health Start Here Coronary Artery Bypass Texas Heart Institute Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (Beyond the Basics) UpToDate Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute What Is Coronary Bypass Surgery? American Heart Association Related Issues Coronary Artery Disease: Angioplasty or Bypass Surgery? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Coronary Artery Revascularization in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus American Heart Association What Are the Risks of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diagnosis and Tests Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) Array Who Needs Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Reference Desk Heart Anatomy Texas Heart Institute Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia American Heart Association Heart Surgery Terms Society of Thoracic Surgeons How the Heart Works National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Array Heart bypass surgery Heart bypass surgery Heart bypass surgery – discharge Heart bypass surgery – minimally invasive Heart bypass surgery – minimally invasive – discharge Heart bypass surgery – slideshow Specifics Limited-Access Heart Surgery Texas Heart Institute Types of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute What to Expect during Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Living With MedlinePlus: Cardiac Rehabilitation National Library of Medicine Recovery After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (Beyond the Basics) UpToDate What Happens After Heart Surgery? American Heart Association What to Expect After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute What to Expect After Heart Surgery Society of Thoracic Surgeons Journal Articles Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Statistics and Research Quality of Life After Bypass Surgery in Patients with Chest Pain and Heart Failure American College of Physicians Videos and Tutorials Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Operation OR-Live TECAB – Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass OR-Live Latest News Many Heart Bypass Patients Don’t Take Needed Meds HealthDay Severe Obesity May Boost Infection Risk After Heart Surgery HealthDay