What is CABG and when is it needed?
During CABG surgery, a healthy artery or vein from an arm or leg is grafted or attached to a blocked coronary artery, allowing the new grafted artery to “bypass” the blocked artery so that fresh blood can be brought to the heart.
People with coronary heart disease may need a CABG surgery at some point in their lives if the blood vessels that provide blood and oxygen to the heart muscle become narrow and hard. This is known as “hardening of the arteries.”
This hardening occurs when a fatty substance called plaque forms on the walls of the coronary arteries, narrowing them and making it hard for blood to flow. When this happens, a heart attack may occur.
Open-heart surgery may also be used to:
- Repair or replace heart valves
- Repair damaged or abnormal areas of the heart
- Implant medical devices to keep the heart pumping