Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Understanding CABG Surgery?
Heart Bypass surgery, also known as Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, or CABG, is a medical procedure conducted to restore the flow of blood to the heart when coronary arteries are blocked or damaged. Finding the best CABG hospital in Mumbai can also be a challenge.
The CABG surgery restores the blood flow in the blocked arteries by utilizing healthy blood vessels that are taken from other body parts, such as the legs or chest. The main goal of the CABG surgery is to restore blood flow in the arteries, thus restoring proper blood supply to the heart.
During the surgery, the cardiac surgeon creates a large incision in the chest, stopping the heart temporarily, your chestbone is cut lengthwise. Once your heart is exposed, a tube is inserted into it so that the blood can be pumped through the body with the help of a heart-lung bypass machine.
The CABG surgical intervention helps patients enhance the function of the heart and alleviate symptoms of chest pain, and breathlessness. It helps patients live a long and healthy life free of life threatening symptoms, thereby improving their quality of life.
Why is CABG recommended?
- CABG addresses Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), a medical condition where your arteries, which supply blood to your heart, get blocked or narrowed due to the accumulation of plaque.
- When lifestyle changes, and the medications provided by your cardiologist are insufficient to improve your symptoms of breathlessness, guiddiness, and chest pain.
- CABG is also recommended when there are multiple blockages in your coronary arteries and they are severely narrowed, When the risk of heart attack is just a doorstep away, CABG is the prime rescue option.
- After multiple medical tests of the patient’s medical history and how severe complications the patient may be going through. Your cardiologist will recommend angioplasty if it is the correct medical treatment or if Bypass surgery is the only option.
- Lastly, CABG is only recommended as the last option by your cardiologist, when stenting or angioplasty would not be a possible solution for the cure of the accumulation of plaque in your coronary arteries.
Risks Associated With CABG Surgery?
- Infection at the incision site
- Blood clots that can cause heart attack, stroke, or lung problems
- Bleeding during or after the surgery
- Pancreatitis
- Breathing problems
- Pneumonia
- Kidney failure
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Failure of the graft
- Death
Benefits of CABG Surgery?
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) or Bypass surgery is often recommended by cardiologists when other medical treatments are unable to provide relief to the patient from symptoms of chest pain, and breathlessness, or when the medical assessment tests often indicate that a heart attack is just a door step away and the patient could face a lifethreatning situation.
Below are a few of the benefits of CABG surgery.
Restores Blood Flow Among Patients:
A CABG surgery is the prime medical treatment that can effectively restore blood flow to your heart. This procedure creates a pathway (graft) with the help of other blood vessels from other body parts. This helps fix problems with chest pain (angina) and reduce the probability of a heart attack.
Reduce The Probability of Future Heart Disease:
After successful execution of the CABG surgery, the patient has a much lower probability of receiving a heart attack or other CAD disease. CABG lowers the risk of any possible cardiac issues, as it restores blood flow to the heart, clearing the blocked arteries.
Restored Blood Flow:
The CABG surgery creates a new pathway for blood, so it can bypass the blocked arteries. Pieces of a leg vein or a chest artery may be utilized as blood vessels, or grafts, during the bypass treatment. A different possibility is to use an artery from your wrist. The graft is attached with one end above the blockage and the other below the blockage. This dynamic helps restore blood flow to the heart.
Prepare Yourself for CABG
Preparing for bypass surgery is often a challenge for the patient as well as the family. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you prepare yourself for CABG surgery.
Keep yourself fit before your operate:
Keeping healthy is priority It’s always best that you keep yourself fit and healthy even before you go for CABG surgery. Quit alcohol, smoking, and unhealthy eating, which will eventually help you be physically prepared for the surgery. Notify your surgeon about any medical condition you’re facing, be it a common cold, cough, or fever.
Mental preparation:
For the patient as well as the family, practicing key mental habits such as meditation and thinking positively can create a noticeable difference. Modern CABG procedures are very safe as compared to decades ago, when there was always a high risk. The risk still exists in modern times, but it is much safer. Also, consult your doctor and surgeon for some mental stimulation and get yourself comfortable mentally.
Food and diet post cabg procedure:
It is necessary to quit alcohol and follow a balanced diet, including fruits and green vegetables in your daily diet post procedure. Before the procedure, you should not have any solid food at midnight or in the evening before your procedure is conducted. Fluids can be allowed only under medical instructions.
