Alternatives to Heart Bypass Surgery – Yashoda Hospital

Overview

Heart Bypass surgery or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) is done to improve the flow of blood to the heart. In this, a blood vessel is taken from another area of the body and used as a bypass to the damaged artery. CABG surgery is generally performed when the coronary artery gets blocked or damaged and restricts the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. As a result, the heart does not work properly which results in heart failure.

Types of Heart Bypass Surgeries

Depending on the number of blocked arteries, the surgeon will recommend one of the following types of bypass surgery:

• Single bypass - if only one artery is blocked
• Double bypass - if two arteries are blocked
• Triple bypass - if three arteries are blocked
• Quadruple bypass - if four arteries are blocked

The higher the number of blocked arteries, the more complex the surgery becomes and increases the chances of getting a heart attack, heart failure, or other cardiac complications.

Why is Heart Bypass Surgery Performed?

People suffering from coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as Atherosclerosis are more likely to get heart bypass surgery done. In this condition, the fat and cholesterol or plaque get deposited on the arterial walls, making the artery thick or causing blockage due to which less blood flows to the heart. This causes the heart to become exhausted or fail.

Who Can Undergo Heart Bypass Surgery?

After studying the symptoms and diagnosis, doctors will identify whether someone is ready for surgery. As some medical conditions might complicate the procedure, a critical study of the medical history of the patient is done. If the person is suffering from or has diabetes, emphysema, kidney disease, or peripheral arterial disease, then performing surgery can be risky as it may cause severe complications. Therefore, one should discuss beforehand and thoroughly about these issues with a doctor, before scheduling surgery.

Potential Risks of Heart Bypass Surgery

Being an open-heart surgery, heart bypass surgery carries several potential risks. Though advancement in technology have raised the probability of a successful surgery, some of the complications that can still occur after surgery are:

• Excessive bleeding
• Blood clots
• Arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Infection
• Kidney failure
• Heart attack or stroke

Alternatives to Heart Bypass Surgery

Looking at the number of complications that might occur during or after surgery, doctors often avoid heart bypass surgery. However, these days more alternatives to heart bypass surgery with fewer risks and complications have become available.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

It is a non-surgical procedure used to treat various heart diseases and improve the blood flow to the heart. Also known as Coronary Angioplasty, it involves the use of a small catheter tube, inserted through the wrist or groin and a dye which is injected to identify the narrowed or blocked arteries. Then small balloons are used to open up the blocked spots and a small mesh tube called a stent is used to provide additional support and help in keeping the artery open.