Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a common type of heart surgery that involves bypassing diseased blood vessels in order to restore blood flow to the heart in patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD).

CAD is typically caused by atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque and other fatty materials on the insides of the artery walls. This buildup of plaque and other materials causes narrowing of the vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the heart. This narrowing can slow down or stop the flow of blood to the heart. When the blockage is severe, symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and heart attack may occur. Treatment for some patients with CAD may simply involve taking medications, but if the disease is serious enough surgery may be warranted.

Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery may be indicated for patients with severe blockages in the large coronary arteries that supply a large amount of blood flow to the heart, weakened heart pumping action, or for heart blockages that cannot be treated with angioplasty. Angioplasty is a procedure in which a balloon is inserted into an artery and inflated so that it opens up the blockage, thereby restoring blood flow.

In coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, a healthy vein or artery from elsewhere in the body is used to bypass the diseased artery and provide oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart muscle. One end of the harvested vein or artery is grafted, or anastomosed, onto the blocked coronary artery beyond the area of blockage, and the other end is anastomosed to the aorta, thus providing non-obstructed blood flow to the heart. The most common vessels used for grafting are the saphenous veins, radial arteries, and internal thoracic arteries.

Some common terms in regard to bypass surgery include single bypass, double bypass, triple bypass, quadruple bypass, and quintuple bypass. These terms all refer to the number of arteries that are being bypassed during the surgery. Thus, a double bypass indicates that two coronary arteries are being bypassed, a triple bypass indicates that three coronary arteries are being bypassed, and so on.

Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery typically have a good prognosis, with successful grafts lasting many years. The success of the surgery, though, is dependent upon the amount and severity of diseased vessels and how proactive the patient is after surgery in making lifestyle changes. Though lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, keeping blood sugar in check for diabetics, reducing sodium intake, and so forth may not exclusively prevent coronary artery disease from developing or recurring, patients may be able to greatly reduce their risk of developing the disease or needing subsequent bypass surgeries by following these healthy tips.

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