Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery - CABG

Heart Bypass Surgery in Delhi

The Heart Centre at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital specialises in offering effective surgical treatments for long term relief from coronary artery disease, which is a very common heart problem marked by blocked or narrowed arteries. The team of cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons at the BLK-Max Heart centre takes care of all the procedures, including the complex ones.

The centre excels in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and has a high success rate in treating patients with minor as well as major blockage. The centre has its own aptly equipped diagnostic labs to perform Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG), and the centre holds a proven record of conducting the most complex surgeries with a considerably high success rate.

What Is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABS) is a type of surgery that is performed on patients suffering from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). The surgery improves blood flow to the heart by redirecting blood around a section of a completely or partially blocked artery in your heart. The CABS procedure involves taking a healthy blood vessel from the patient’s leg, arm, or chest and connecting it to bypass the blocked arteries in the heart.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), also known as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque tends to build up inside the coronary arteries, which are responsible for the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Over time, the plaque in the arteries hardens or ruptures (breaks open), thereby narrowing the passage of oxygen-rich blood into the arteries. This results in chronic chest pain and discomfort, commonly referred to as.

The four primary coronary arteries in the heart are:

Right main coronary artery
Left main coronary artery
Left circumflex artery
Left anterior descending artery

What are the alternate names of CABG?

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) is also known as heart bypass surgery or bypass surgery.

What Are The Indicators For Blocked/Narrowed Arteries

Following are the signs and symptoms which indicate blocked or narrowed arteries:

Shortness of Breath
Persistent Chest Pain
Fatigue
Fainting
Dizziness
Pain in Left Arm or Shoulder
Heart Attack
Nausea and Vomiting
Restlessness
Perspiration and Clammy Skin

What Are The Causes Of Coronary Heart Disease

There are certain health conditions and lifestyle issues that may trigger the formation of plaque in arteries, which are:

Non-Modifiable Causes:

Age (more than 70 years)
Male gender
Race (African Americans have more severe high BP than Caucasians)
Family history of heart disease

Modifiable Causes:

Diabetes
Obesity which results in high cholesterol
High blood pressure
Smoking/tobacco
Lack of physical activity due to a sedentary lifestyle

What Are The Conditions We Treat Under Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Some of the major conditions we treat with Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery are:

Stable Angina
Unstable Angina
Myocardial Infarction (MI)
Sudden Cardiac Arrest

How Is Coronary Heart Disease Diagnosed

Nobody wants to suffer from heart disease, but we all should be ready to face any situation. It is better to get tested and look out for all the possibilities to make timely interventions. There are many diagnostic tests that can ascertain the condition of your arteries. You may need to go for more than one test, depending on your situation. BLK-Max Heart centre has an exclusive diagnostic centre for conducting various tests and scans, which help the doctors in deciding the right treatment for you. After your physical examination, your cardiologist might ask you to go for the following tests:

ECG
Echocardiogram
CT scan
PET scan
MRI
Coronary Angiogram
Cardiac Catheterization

How to prepare for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery?

The patient needs to undergo various tests such as-
Chest X-ray
Blood tests
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
The patient is advised to do fasting from the night before surgery to prevent complications such as nausea and aspiration during surgery.

The doctor may also advise the patient to stop taking any medications such as Aspirin, Coumadin, Vitamin E, fish oil 4 to 5 days before surgery as these medications can make the blood thin.

What Is The Procedure Of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, also called Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), is recommended in case of multiple blockages.

Before The Procedure

If your Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery is not in emergency conditions, then your doctor will first admit you to the hospital and then perform the surgery under the influence of anaesthesia. The whole procedure generally takes somewhere between three to six hours.

For general anaesthesia, the surgeon inserts a breathing tube through the mouth. It is then attached to a ventilator, which aids the patient in breathing during and immediately after the surgery.

During The Procedure

STEP 1:The surgeon removes the healthy blood vessel from the patient’s leg, arm, or chest for grafting, which is used to create a bypass over the blocked artery. This helps in retaining normal blood flow to the heart.
STEP 2:The team of surgeons now performs a minimally invasive surgery by making small incisions in the chest (often with the use of robotics and video imaging), through the sternum (breast bone). This gives a detailed view of coronary arteries. Due to the incision, the heart stops temporarily, and a heart-lung machine is used to circulate blood throughout the body.
STEP 3:The surgeon now takes a section of the healthy blood vessel and attaches it to the ends (above and below) of the blocked artery. This redirects the blood flow around the narrowed part of the diseased artery.
STEP 4:After the completion of the graft, the surgeon will restore the heartbeat of the patient thereby disconnecting the heart-lung machine. The incision in the chest is also covered and closed.

After The Procedure

A patient has to spend a day or two in the intensive care unit for monitoring purpose. However, the overall recovery time is around 12 weeks. After surgery, most people remain symptom-free and feel better. However, they have to take certain precautions for a lifetime to improve their quality of life.

Follow up

The hospital stay is about 7 days. During this period, drips, tubes and drains are attached to provide fluids and drain urine. The patient may feel uncomfortable, but painkillers are provided to alleviate pain.
Generally, the patient is able to sit on a chair after one day, walk after 3 days and climb stairs after 5 to 6 days. Full recovery requires 12 weeks.
The patient is asked to visit for a follow up appointment after 6 to 8 weeks of surgery.

Guidelines