Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

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

Living With

• Cardiac Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• What to Expect After Heart Surgery Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Coronary Artery Bypass National Institutes of Health

Start Here

• Coronary Artery Bypass Texas Heart Institute
• What Is 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

Diagnosis and Tests

• Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) Radiological Society of North America

Reference Desk

• Heart Anatomy Texas Heart Institute
• How the Heart Works National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Encyclopedia

• Heart bypass surgery Medical Encyclopedia

Patient Handouts

• Heart bypass surgery Medical Encyclopedia
• Heart bypass surgery – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• Heart bypass surgery – minimally invasive Medical Encyclopedia
• Heart bypass surgery – minimally invasive – discharge Medical Encyclopedia

Images

• Heart bypass surgery – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Limited-Access Heart Surgery Texas Heart Institute

Journal Articles

• Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery