Bypass surgery is a treatment option if you suffer from forms of heart disease that block your arteries, such as
atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) or
coronary artery disease.
If one or more of the arteries in your heart are clogged, you may need coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, pronounced "cabbage"),
a procedure that’s been used for more than 40 years to improve blood flow to the heart muscle.
During CABG, doctors remove segments of blood vessels from your leg, chest or arm and transplant them to your heart, where
they are used to re-route blood flow around or "bypass" blocked arteries. The transplanted vessel restores blood flow, providing
the heart vital oxygen and nutrients.
Although coronary artery bypass grafting has helped many Americans live longer, healthier lives, recent advances have made
the procedure safer and easier for patients than ever before.
Atherosclerosis: This is the thickening and hardening of the coronary arteries, the network of blood vessels that surround the heart, supplying
it with blood. Clogged or narrowed coronary arteries can slow or stop the flow of blood to the heart causing a heart attack.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): Also called ischemic heart disease, CAD occurs when the coronary arteries become blocked, depriving the heart of the oxygen
and nutrients it needs to properly function.
