Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Coronary artery bypass surgery (or bypass surgery) is an operation to bring blood to the heart. A blood vessel is taken from another part of the body and then attached above and below (bypasses) the narrowed part of the artery. A bypass can be done for each blocked artery. Bypass surgery can make chest pain better and lower the risk of heart attack. However, a bypass can also become blocked. This happens in more than 10 percent of bypass surgeries, usually after 10 or more years.

Bypass surgery may be needed due to various reasons, such as an angioplasty that did not widen the blood vessel enough, or blockages that cannot treated by angioplasty. In certain cases, bypass surgery may be preferred. For instance, it may be used for persons who have both coronary artery disease and diabetes.