CABG is required whenever the arteries of the heart get blocked due to coronary artery disease and is done under full general anesthesia.
CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS SURGERY
WHY DO I NEED THIS PROCEDURE?
Idea of CAGB is to re-establish the blood supply to blocked arteries and it gives long term relief to the patients with very less chance of any reintervention.
HOW WILL IT BE PERFORMED?
Routine CAGB is done through a midline incision over the chest bone but there are techniques called Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, where the CAGB is done through a small incision from the side of the chest. The surgeon may attach the new grafts while the heart is still beating in most of the cases (beating heart surgery), but there may be a requirement in some cases to use heart-lung machine and do it on pump by stopping heart with medications for some time temporarily.
The beating heart bypass surgery is done with the help of some special stabilizer which is applied to the surface of the heart to stabilize the local area where grafting is done. Heart is maneuvered to do the grafting at all the surfaces of the heart with proper monitoring of blood pressure and pulmonary artery pressures which may require some medicines to be maintained during surgery. Bypass is done using patients own arteries mostly and sometimes leg veins also. The chest bone will be rejoined using wires and the skin on the chest will be closed with dissolvable stitches. The procedure may take 3 to 4 hours and the patients are shifted to CTVS ICU for recovery.
HOW WILL IT BENEFIT ME?
CABG surgery can bypass the blocked arteries so that blood can flow more easily.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NON TREATMENT?
Non treatment could lead to many consequences like repeated heart attack, heart failure and death. Non compliance to the medication and precautions can lead to recurrence of the disease.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE?
Usually, other alternatives are ruled out and if CAGB is indicated it is the treatment of choice.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS/ COMPLICATIONS OF THE PROCEDURE?
1-2% risk to life. In rare instances i.e. 1-2% changes of kidney failure and may require Dialysis, Stroke, Limb ischemia, Pneumonia, Mental confusion which is temporary, wound complication like delayed healing specially in Diabetics.
CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT