Bypass Surgery

One of surgical treatments of heart is bypass surgery or heart bypass surgery. It is performed to save the heart from coronary artery disease and the victims of this disease from death. In this medical procedure, veins or arteries are joined to the coronary arteries through atherosclerotic narrowings. It improves the supply of blood to the heart, promotes the coronary circulation and strengthens the myocardium that is heart muscle. Bypass surgery is also known as coronus artery bypass surgery.

Categories of bypass surgery

Bypass surgery varies in respect of grafting veins or arteries. Which arteries or veins are to be grafted is decided by the surgeon on the basis of the amount and location of the blockage. The types of bypass grafting are as follows:

Procedure

The patient lies on an operating table in the operation room.
An anesthetist injects the patient an anesthetic agent to render him or her unconscious.
The anesthetist or a respiratory therapist inserts an endotracheal tube for mechanical ventilation of inhaled and exhaled air.
The surgeon cuts open the chest of the patient through a median sternotomy and examine the health of the heart.
The bypass grafting of frequent conduits like the radial arteries, saphenous veins and the internal thoracic arteries is done. During the time of grafting, heparin is given to the patient to prevent blood clotting.
In case of an off-pump surgery, the heart is stabilized by various devices before beginning the process of surgery.
In case of an on-pump surgery, the surgeon performs the suturing of cannulae into the heart and then, the perfusionist begins the procedure of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).
At the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, the surgeon sets the aortic cross-clamp across the aorta.
One of the ends of a graft is attached to the coronary arteries through the blockages. The aorta is joined to the other end.
Protamine is given to the patient in order to reverse the efficacies of heparin.
Then, the patient is shifted from the operation room to the ICU (intensive care unit) for recovery.
After one or two days, the patient is kept in the cardiac surgery ward till discharge from hospital.

The benefits of the bypass surgery

Smaller incision and therefore, a smaller mark of incision
Shorter period of stay in hospital
Shorter period of recovery
Less bleeding
Less risk of infection
Less pain or trauma