Bypass surgery is a complex open-heart procedure during which the blocked blood flow to the heart is restored. The risk of heart attacks is thus reduced and life expectancy is increased.
What is bypass surgery?
Bypass surgery is a complex open-heart procedure, in which the blocked blood flow to the heart is restored. Bypass surgery is an operation on the artery of the heart to restore blood flow to the heart muscle. In this procedure, blood is collected through a side channel at the blocked site of the artery and sent to the heart. The surgeon uses a piece of vein from the patient’s leg, arm, chest or abdomen and connects it to the heart and artery, bypassing the blockage of blood flow. After the bypass surgery, the normal function of the heart muscle is restored. It is one of several ways to treat and cure heart disease. Bypass surgery reduces symptoms caused by clogged arteries. These include pain and stinging in the chest and upper body, as well as shortness of breath and lower exercise capacity. Bypass surgery reduces the risk for further heart disease and death from a heart attack.
Function, effect, and goals
Bypass surgery may improve the immediate symptoms of heart artery disease, but it does not solve the cause of the disease. A common cause of the emergence of artery blockage is an unhealthy lifestyle. After bypass surgery, a change is absolutely necessary to reduce the risks of recurring problems. Prior to surgery, the physician will give several instructions regarding activities, diet, and medication regimen. A number of precautionary tests will be performed, such as X-rays, blood tests, electrocardiogram, coronary angiography (an X-ray that shows the flow of blood to the heart). Most patients are admitted to the hospital the morning of bypass surgery. In some cases, bypass surgery is also performed as an emergency operation after a heart attack. The patient should keep in mind for the weeks following surgery that it will take approximately 6 weeks to return to work, driving, or performing everyday tasks. Bypass surgery usually takes three to six hours and requires general anesthesia. The length depends on the number of bypasses that need to be placed. Most bypass surgeries are performed through a long incision in the chest while blood flow is provided by a heart-lung machine. At the sternum, the chest is opened and the heart is exposed. The muscle is then stopped transitionally and the heart-lung machine takes over. Incisions are made in the arm, leg or chest to remove veins and connect them to the affected areas of the arteries. In some cases, bypass surgery is also performed on the beating heart, or without opening the chest, through a small incision and the use of computer-controlled robotic arms. Bypass surgery is a complex procedure and afterwards the patient will spend 2 more days under supervision in the intensive care unit. The breathing tube will be connected for several more hours, limiting communication. After a week, the patient will be able to leave the hospital, but it will be several more weeks before he or she can return to work or perform only minor physical tasks.
Risks and dangers
Because bypass surgery is performed on the open heart in the majority of cases, a number of complications can occur during the procedure. These include: Bleeding, cardiac arrhythmias. Less common problems that arise include: Infection of the surgical wound; memory loss or problems with thinking (these should subside 12 hours after bypass surgery); kidney failure; stroke; heart attack (if a blood clot breaks loose shortly after surgery). The likelihood of these complications depend on the patient’s physical condition prior to bypass surgery. Individual risks should be discussed with the patient in a consultation with the physician. If the bypass surgery is planned over a long period of time and well prepared, the risk for enumerated problems should be low. Much more risky is an emergency operation with this procedure, or if the patient has other drugs in the blood.Additional conditions such as emphysema, kidney disease, diabetes, or blocked arteries in the legs also increase the risk of complications.
