Surgical options

Coronary artery bypass (coronary artery bypass graft, CABG) surgery: In this type of surgery, one or more blocked coronary arteries are bypassed by a length of blood vessel grafted in place to restore normal blood flow to the heart. These grafts usually come from the patient's own arteries and veins located in the chest, leg, or arm. The graft goes around the clogged artery (or arteries) to create new pathways for oxygen-rich blood to flow to the heart.

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The goals of bypass surgery are to relieve symptoms of coronary artery disease, including angina, and to lower the risk of a heart attack or other heart problems.

The surgery generally lasts from three to five hours, depending on the number of arteries being bypassed.

In this section on bypass surgery you will find information on:

• Procedures
• Bypass grafts
• Recovery