What Is Heart Bypass Surgery

What Is The Fastest Way To Recover From Bypass Surgery

The fastest way to recover is to be patient with yourself. Take time to return to a normal routine dont try to rush it. Know that your cardiac care team cares about your recovery and is available to help you through this process.

Perhaps one of the most important steps to recovery is your outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. This usually starts a few weeks after surgery. It includes guidance on exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle all the keys to heart health after CABG. The program is supervised by therapists who are specially trained to care for people with heart conditions.

In general, cardiac rehab programs last at least six weeks. But the length can vary depending on your needs. Its common to think its unnecessary or even too time-consuming. But we cant stress enough how important it is. Please speak with your care team if you have financial or other concerns.

What Are The Risks Of Heart Bypass Surgery

All surgeries come with the chance of problems. Some include:

• Blood clots that can raise your chances of a stroke, a heart attack, or lung problems
• Pneumonia
• Problems breathing

Many things affect these risks, including your age, how many bypasses you get, and any other medical conditions you may have. You and your surgeon will discuss these before your operation.

Once youâve recovered, your symptoms of angina will be gone or much better. Youâll be able to be more active, and youâll have a lower risk of getting a heart attack. Best of all, the surgery can add years to your life.

Medical Issues To Consider

Once you and your doctor have decided that you are to have a heart bypass operation, your doctor will discuss in detail the risks involved. This will include the type of anaesthetic you will have and the immediate post-operative care you can expect. You also need to discuss health and lifestyle issues, including medical history, allergies and current medications.Once in hospital, your vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate are recorded. You will also undergo various medical investigations prior to surgery, including blood tests, x-rays and an electrocardiogram.

Read Also: What Causes Left Sided Heart Failure

What Is The Life Expectancy After Heart Bypass Surgery

The life expectancy after coronary bypass surgery depends again on the individual’s risk factors. If the muscle in the heart works well, the life expectancy can be approximately what the normal population is who’ve never a heart attack .Twenty-year survival by age was 55%, 38%, 22%, and 11% for age < 50, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and > 70 years at the time of initial surgery. Survival at 20 years after surgery with and without hypertension was 27% and 41%, respectively. Similarly, 20-year survival was 37% and 29% for men and women.

Read more about: Open-Heart surgery in Iran

How Important Are Lifestyle Changes

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery increases the blood supply to your heart, but it does not cure coronary artery disease. It is critical that you take your medications exactly as prescribed and make changes in your lifestyle to reduce your risk of future heart problems. Lifestyle changes include:

• Quit smoking
• Manage high blood pressure and diabetes
• Exercise regularly
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a heart-healthy diet
• Take all medications as directed
• Take part in a cardiac rehabilitation program
• See your doctor for regular follow-up visits

Learn more about prevention and making lifestyle changes at Heart and Vascular Health and Prevention.

Also Check: Can Blood Pressure Medicine Cause Chest Pain

Risks Of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

As with any surgery, there are risks involved. Your surgical risks are related to your age, other medical conditions you have, and the number of procedures you have during a single operation. Your cardiologist will talk with you about these risks before surgery please ask questions to make sure you understand why the procedure is recommended and what all of the potential risks are.

Immediately After Heart Bypass Surgery

You should talk to the medical staff if you have any fears or anxieties over the few days immediately after the operation, as emotional stress can make demands on your heart.Following the operation:

• You spend a day or two in the intensive care unit. You have numerous monitors attached to you that are located by your bed.
• You have a couple of intravenous lines to keep your body fluids and electrolyte levels in balance.
• The medical and nursing staff are trained to look out for any complications or potential complications. They keep an expert eye on your heart tracings, and treat any irregularities if they arise.
• You have a nasogastric tube to drain any excess stomach fluids, and a tube into your bladder to drain off and measure your urine output.
• You are shown how to care for your wounds. Often, washing with soap and water is enough.
• You are given advice on angina , such as how to treat it and when to get medical help.
• Your doctor advises on when you can return to work, resume driving, and exercise strenuously.
• You are shown breathing exercises and other exercises by a physiotherapist.
• Before you leave hospital, your doctor should provide guidelines about restarting sexual activity. You should be given advice on positions that reduce exertion during sex, and what to do if you experience angina.

Also Check: Does Tylenol Increase Heart Rate

What Happens During Heart Bypass Surgery

Youâll be asleep the whole time. Most operations take between 3 and 6 hours. A breathing tube goes in your mouth. It’s attached to a ventilator, which will breathe for you during the procedure and right afterward.

A surgeon makes a long cut down the middle of your chest. Then they’ll spread your rib cage open so that they can reach your heart.

Your surgical team will use medication to temporarily stop your heart. A machine called a heart-lung machine will keep blood and oxygen flowing through your body while your heart isn’t beating.

Then the surgeon will remove a blood vessel, called a graft, from another part of your body, like your chest, leg, or arm. They’ll attach one end of it to your aorta, a large artery that comes out of your heart. Then, they’ll the other end to an artery below the blockage.

The graft creates a new route for blood to travel to your heart. If you have multiple blockages, your surgeon may do more bypass procedures during the same surgery .

In some cases, the surgeon may not need to stop your heart. These are called âoff-pumpâ procedures. Others need only tiny cuts. These are called âkeyholeâ procedures.

Some surgeries rely on the help of robotic devices. Your surgeon will recommend the best operation for you.

Youll Play A Key Role In Managing Your Pain

Post-surgical pain is unavoidable but can be managed in a variety of ways. Because of recent national legislation changes, physicians can prescribe no more than a seven-day supply of opioids to patients at the time of their hospital discharge.

Weaning yourself off opioids as soon as possible is important. You may need less than a seven-day supply, depending on your condition. Some patients do not require any opioids for pain management.

Other options for pain management include:

• Oral and topical analgesics such as acetaminophen and Salonpas patches

• Applying a warm cloth to the area, using caution near the incision because nerve sensitivity may be decreased, causing the skin to burn

• Relaxation techniques such as meditation and guided imagery

If you are on long-term opioids, you should meet with your prescribing physician to begin to wean down to the lowest dose possible before surgery.

You May Like: Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction Symptoms

Recovery In The Hospital

You will stay in the hospital for about one week. You may stay longer if you had other procedures done as well or if you have a complication. You will stay in an intensive care unit for a day or two, where medical staff may do the following:

• Apply bandages on your chest and wherever the graft was removed.
• Attach tubesto drain fluid from your chest and urine from your bladder.
• Connect you to an electrocardiogram to monitor your heart rhythm.
• Implant a temporary , and, in some cases, an implantable cardioverter , while you are recovering in the ICU.
• Give you compression stockings to wear on your legs to help maintain proper blood flow and avoid .
• Give you medicines. Some medicines you may take for only a short time, while others you may need to keep taking. These medicines may help with pain during recovery, prevent or irregular heart rhythms, control and fats in the blood, and lower your risk of complications.
• Give you , which delivers oxygen into your nose through nasal prongs or a mask.
• Monitor your vital signs, such as your heart rate, , and oxygen levels.

About Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

An estimated 170,000 Americans undergo coronary artery bypass surgery each year. This operation, once considered a difficult achievement, is now almost routine in many medical centers.

Studies have conclusively demonstrated that the operation prolongs life in patients who have severe blockages in the three major coronary arteries, in severe disease, in patients with low ejection fraction, and in patients with diabetes. There is less agreement about when it is appropriate for other patients. In general, it is recommended for people with disabling angina that cannot be controlled by conventional therapy and who are also good candidates for surgery.

The operation itself is relatively simple. For “on-pump” procedures, circulation is maintained by a heart-lung machine. In an “off-pump” operation, the surgeon operates directly on the beating heart. Most people who undergo the operation report feeling vastly better afterward. Very often, the patient may have suffered from disabling angina or other cardiac limitations before the operation. With an increased blood supply to the heart muscle, these problems should be eliminated or minimized.

The skill and experience of the surgical and recovery teams also are important considerations. Patients considering coronary bypass surgery always should determine whether the surgeon performs this particular operation regularly and whether there is a skilled recovery team and a special recovery unit.

Don’t Miss: What Is A Dangerously High Heart Rate

Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

What is coronary artery bypass surgery?

Coronary artery bypass surgery improves the blood flow to the heart muscle. It is commonly referred to as bypass surgery or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery.

Why is it done?

One alternative to bypass surgery is Percutaneous Cardiac Intervention , a non-surgical technique that uses catheters and small structures called stents to keep the arteries open. If there are many blockages or if the blockages are positioned in places that are difficult for a catheter to reach , your doctor may recommend bypass surgery as your best alternative.

What is done?

• A piece of a healthy blood vessel from the patients leg, arm, or chest will be harvested to be used as the bypass.
• Unless you are undergoing one of the newer procedures , the heart is stopped so the surgeons can work on it.
• A machine called the heart-lung machine will take over the work of your heart and lungs while the surgeon is operating on the heart.
• The section of healthy blood vessel is attached above and below the blocked artery.
• When the heart is restarted, blood flow is diverted through the bypass around the narrowed portion of the diseased artery.
• Depending upon the number of blockages, several bypasses may be created.

Off-Pump or Beating-Heart Surgery

What can you expect?

Usually, the surgery is scheduled ahead of time.

A week or so before your operation, you will probably be asked to visit your hospitals pre-admission unit.

After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

You will start your recovery in an intensive care unit . You will stay in the ICU for 1-2 days so your healthcare team can closely keep track of your condition and vital signs. You will continue your recovery in a step-down unit. Most patients stay in the step-down unit for 3-5 days.

• Learn more about the Cleveland Clinic Heart Surgery Program.

Also Check: Chronic Systolic Heart Failure Life Expectancy

Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass

This procedure uses two small incisions between the ribs on the left side of the chest to access the heart. We’ll harvest an artery from the chest, either directly or via a surgical robot, and will stitch the harvested artery to the coronary arteries.

The small incisions allow for a quicker recovery and a shorter hospital stay. This surgery is performed without a heart-lung bypass machine, making it a consideration for patients with chronic pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disease and kidney failure.

What Is Beating Heart Bypass Surgery

Coronary Artery Disease

When your arteries cannot supply enough blood to your heart, your doctor may recommend coronary artery bypass graft surgery. One of the most common heart surgeries in the United States, CABG surgery restores blood flow to your heart.

Approximately every 10 minutes, someone has beating heart or “off-pump” bypass surgery1. Beating heart bypass surgery is in simple terms bypass surgery that is performed on your heart while it is beating. Your heart will not be stopped during surgery. You will not need a heart-lung machine. Your heart and lungs will continue to perform during your surgery.

Surgeons use a tissue stabilization system to immobilize the area of the heart where they need to work.

Beating heart bypass surgery is also called Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery . Both OPCAB and conventional on-pump surgery restore blood flow to the heart. However, off-pump bypass surgery has proven to reduce side effects in certain types of patients.

Also Check: How Does Blood Move Through The Heart

Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass

Totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass is the least invasive coronary artery bypass grafting procedure available.

During TECAB, we do not need to open your chest at all. Instead, we place the bypass graft through tiny holes in your chest, using robotic instruments to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure. This is an even less invasive procedure than the MIDCAB.

This leads to minimal scarring, a shorter, more comfortable recovery, and a return to normal activities more quickly.

Pros And Cons Of Coronary Bypass Surgery

Cons of coronary bypass may include:

• Infections of the chest wound.
• Memory loss or troubles with thinking clearly, which often improve within six to 12 months.
• Kidney problems.
• Heart attack, if a blood clot breaks loose soon after surgery.

Pros of coronary bypass may include:

The surgery carries many benefits, including some particularly for patients who have serious cardiovascular disease. The operation can save your life if you are having a heart attack or are at high risk of having one. If you have ongoing angina and shortness of breath from diseased heart arteries, elective coronary bypass surgery is highly effective at eliminating or reducing discomfort. Coronary bypass surgery can give you your life back.

Don’t Miss: Carrie Fisher Brain Damage

Do You Have To Make Any Dietary Changes After Heart Bypass Surgery

A heart smart diet is always a good choice, whether you have had surgery, or are simply trying to stay healthy and strong. The Mediterranean diet is a great option.

This eating plan is rich in:

• Fruits

• Sugar

• Red meat

This easy-to-follow diet has been proven to reduce heart attack risk and improve the health of the arteries. For some people, cutting back on salt is also important, since salt may contribute to high blood pressure and fluid buildup.

Difference Between Open Heart Surgery And Heart Bypass Surgery

Heart bypass surgery is a type of open-heart surgery in which the doctors open up the chest through a minor cut to reach the heart. After making incisions, the doctors can perform the rest of the surgery in two forms: on-pump or off-pump.

In on-pump surgery, the surgeons use a heart-lung machine to stop your heart and perform the operation efficiently. The device will circulate the blood and help your body to breathe.

Whereas, in off-pump surgery, your heart beats throughout the process also called beating heart surgery. The process does not require a heart-lung machine.

But sometimes, the doctor can perform surgery without cutting the chest, which is known as closed heart surgery. The risk and side effects of these procedures depend on person-to-person. So its best to let the doctor decide which treatment will be best for you.

Recommended Reading: How Does Fitbit Calculate Resting Heart Rate

The Heart Bypass Vessel

The most well known bypass is called the LIMA to LAD. LIMA stands for left internal mammary artery and is an artery that runs from the left collarbone area down the chest wall. LAD stands for left anterior descending artery which is the artery commonly responsible for the Widowmaker Blockage. In a bypass it is carefully taken down from the chest wall and attached beyond a blockage acting as a bypass. The LIMA to LAD is very successful as a bypass and has good long-term results. In other types of bypasses, arteries can be taken from the forearm, or veins can be taken from the legs. Read this article on heart blockages and this article on the Widowmaker for more information. This article titled how long does a bypass last is useful and goes in to a little more depth about the different bypasses.

The Left Internal Mammary Artery is depicted here and is labelled #8.

When Is Cabg Recommended

The heart care team may recommend CABG to relieve symptoms and to improve your chance of living longer. 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 , which may include placing a . This procedure is also known as coronary .

CABG may be recommended when you have:

• A need for open-heart surgery for other reasons
• Diabetes
• Heart attack due to coronary artery disease that cannot be treated properly with PCI
• Ischemic heart disease with that has not gone away with medicine, or with a history of sudden cardiac arrest related to heart
• Multiple blocked coronary arteries or large amounts of plaque in the left main coronary artery that would be difficult to treat with PCI
• Severe or advanced that affects your heartâs ability to pump blood

Read Also: How Accurate Is The Apple Watch Heart Rate