When You Need Bypass Surgery?

By Dr. Vishal Dhir in Cardiac Surgery Cardiology

Mar 22, 2019

Understanding Bypass Surgery and Its Need When Coronary Angioplasty (Stent) Is Not an Option

What is Heart Bypass Surgery?
Heart bypass surgery is an open-heart procedure performed when the blood vessels supplying the heart are completely blocked. The surgery involves removing an artery from within the chest or forearm or a vein and using it to create a new pathway around the blockage, allowing blood to reach the heart. The terms double, triple, or quadruple bypass refer to the number of arteries that are being bypassed during the procedure.

In many cases, coronary artery disease can be treated with less invasive procedures like angioplasty, where a stent is placed to open a blocked artery. After either angioplasty or bypass surgery, major lifestyle changes, such as diet modification and exercise, are necessary.

Why Do Patients Need Bypass Surgery?

• Severe Chest Pain: Severe chest pain even during rest or light work caused by narrowing of the arteries.
• Multiple Diseased Arteries: The patient has more than one diseased coronary artery, and the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, is not functioning properly.
• Severe Blockage: The left main coronary artery, which supplies most of the blood to the left ventricle, is severely blocked.
• Recurrent Blockage: The patient has been treated with angioplasty (stenting) or ballooning to widen the blocked artery, but it has narrowed again.
• Additional Cardiac Issues: When an additional problem in the heart needs to be addressed along with bypass surgery, such as a leaking valve or rupture of one cardiac chamber into another.

Cardiac surgery has become a safe option even for some critically ill patients, allowing them to lead a near-normal life, free from disabling chest pain or breathlessness on exertion. Metro Heart Institute with Multi-Speciality has an experienced team of cardiothoracic surgeons and anesthetists capable of handling any emergency.