Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) is a surgical procedure performed to improve blood flow to the heart muscle by bypassing blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. It is commonly used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), a condition where the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart become clogged with fatty deposits or plaques.

Coronary Surgery

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the narrowing of the coronary arteries – the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. CAD is caused by a build-up of fatty material within the walls of the arteries. This build-up narrows the inside of the arteries, limiting the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.

One way to treat the blocked or narrowed arteries is to bypass the blocked portion of the coronary artery with a piece of a healthy blood vessel from elsewhere in your body. Blood vessels, or grafts, used for the bypass procedure may be pieces of a vein from your leg or an artery in your chest.

  • Symptoms of coronary artery disease may include:
    • Chest pain
    • Fatigue (severe tiredness)
    • Palpitations
    • Abnormal heart rhythms
    • Shortness of breath