Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Who Needs It?

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is used to treat obstructive coronary heart disease, a type of heart disease that occurs when
plaque

plaque

(Plak):

A substance made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. In some cardiovascular diseases, plaque builds up and hardens in arteries. Plaque buildup reduces blood flow and makes it more likely that blood clots will form in the arteries. These blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow and oxygen delivery to the heart, brain, kidneys, or legs, arms, or pelvis.

builds up in the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood.

Your heart care team will work with you to decide if CABG is right for you. Your team may include your heart doctor, called a cardiologist, and a cardiothoracic surgeon, who specializes in heart, lung, and chest surgeries.

Surgery is not always the best option for everyone. Depending on your overall health and other conditions, your care team may recommend an alternative procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which includes an angioplasty with a stent. PCI is a nonsurgical but invasive procedure inside the blood vessel that opens and stretches the vessel.

You may benefit from CABG if you have:

• Coronary heart disease with angina (chest pain) that has not gone away with medicine, or a history of cardiac arrest related to an irregular heartbeat
• Diabetes
• Heart attack due to coronary artery disease that cannot be treated properly with PCI
• Multiple blocked coronary arteries or large amounts of plaque in the left main coronary artery that would be difficult to treat with PCI
• Serious heart failure that affects your heart’s ability to pump blood

Book traversal links for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

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What Is Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting?

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Preparing for Surgery

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