Coronary Bypass Surgery

Coronary bypass surgery is an operation in which other blood vessels are used to go around, or bypass, clogged coronary arteries. Blood can then flow freely to the heart through the new vessels, which may be arteries or veins.

The surgery takes about 2.5 to 5 hours. The surgeon may connect the patient to a coronary bypass machine (heart/lung machine) which assumes the function of the heart and lungs until the surgery is completed.

The surgeon takes a blood vessel from the patient's leg and attaches one end to the aorta (the large artery that comes out of the heart) and the other end to the coronary artery below the point where it is blocked - this is the bypass. A blood vessel from within the chest or arm may also be used. Blood now flows freely through the new bypass graft to the heart.