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Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass GraftingMinimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft surgery treats a narrowed or blocked artery in yourheart. The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart.Over time, a fatty substance called plaque can build up in 1 or more of these arteries, blocking orpartially blocking blood flow. When this happens, you may need surgery to treat the blockage.Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft surgery improves blood flow to the heart by reroutingblood around the blockage. You may hear this surgery called minimally invasive “cabbage” for short.This surgery is called minimally invasive because it is not an open heart procedure. Instead of cuttingthrough your breastbone to reach your heart, your surgeon will only make small cuts in your chest.Before the surgery, you’ll be given medicines that put you to sleep. Your surgeon makes a small cutin the left side of your chest, between your ribs, to reach your heart.First, your surgeon finds a healthy artery in your chest. This artery is used as the graft.They attach the graft to the blocked coronary artery. This creates a new route, or bypass, for blood toflow around the blockage.If you have multiple blockages, you may need more than 1 graft. When the grafts are done, yoursurgeon closes the cut in your chest.Minimally invasive CABG surgery usually takes about 3 to 6 hours, depending on how many graftsare needed. Many people are able to return to normal activities in 2 to 3 weeks.Minimally invasive CABG surgery doesn’t cure heart disease, but it does improve how your heartworks and can help you feel better. It can also lower your risk of a heart attack.In addition to surgery, your care team may recommend medicines and heart-healthy lifestyle changesto improve your symptoms even more.Page 1 ofThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
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Watch this video to learn about what to expect during a coronary artery bypass graft procedure.
This surgery is one way to treat blocked areas in the arteries of the heart. See how the surgery is done, and what to expect before and after.
Bypass surgery creates a new pathway around the blocked part of your artery. This allows blood to flow again.
Watch this animation to see how surgeons restore normal blood flow within a heart that has narrowed or blocked arteries.
