Coronary Bypass Surgery: Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai

The Coronary Bypass Surgery is a surgical procedure that is conducted to enhance the blood flow into the heart. It is the most important surgery to treat people with coronary heart diseases. Among the other options available to treat heart diseases, Coronary Bypass Surgery is considered as an effective treatment option for those with a blocked artery.

Understanding Coronary Bypass Surgery

Imagine that you are struck on a road which is packed with traffic. What would you do? Take another path right to reach your destination right? The Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery works in the same way. Heart diseases create a blockage and this will in turn lead to restricted blood and oxygen flow to the heart. This condition is treated through bypass surgery. When conducting the bypass surgery, the surgeon will take out the blood vessels from a different part of the body. After the removal of the blockage, there will be an enhanced blood and oxygen to the heart again.

The surgery helps in lower the risk for a heart attack and a host of other problems. Also known as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), Bypass surgery is the most common type of open-heart surgery in India.

Signs that you need a Heart Surgery

The most common CAD are:

• Angina (pain or strange feeling in the chest)
• shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Back or jaw pain

However, not everyone experiences these symptoms. Some people don't have any major symptoms and this is called the "silent ischemia." In some cases, individuals a silent heart attack, which occurs without any prior symptoms.

Who Needs It?

The symptoms of a coronary heart disease such as - shortness of breath, angina, irregular heartbeat, are treated through a bypass surgery. With the procedure, the surgeon removes a waxy substance that clogs the insides of the arteries, which in turn makes it difficult for blood and oxygen flow.

How does the Doctor Determine if you need it?

Before coming to a conclusion that you need a Coronary Bypass Surgery, the doctor will make some observations and then have a final word with you. The surgery is an option for those who -

• Suffer with severe chest pain that is a result of narrowing of arteries. Because of this blockage, the heart muscle has in-adequate amounts of blood. This problem may also be treated with an angioplasty or stenting. However, there are some types of blockages which can be treated best with coronary bypass surgery.

• If the patient has more than one defected coronary artery and when the left ventricle, which pumps oxygen rich blood to internal organs, fails to function well.

• If the patient’s main coronary artery has a severe damage because of blockage. This artery plays major role in supplying blood to the heart’s left ventricle.

• Angioplasty is not an appropriate treatment to treat an artery blockage so the doctor will suggest a coronary bypass surgery. The surgery is also the best option for people who have had an angioplasty or stent placement previously and the treatment failed.

It will take about 3 to 4 months to get back to normal but complete healing can take much longer. For primary health care post these extensive surgical procedures, approach the experts at Hiranandani Hospitals.