Why cardiac bypass surgery remains a solid option for people with coronary artery disease.
When plaque (fatty deposits) builds up inside your arteries, it can block blood flow, increasing your heart attack risk. If it’s caught early, physicians may offer you two treatment options: a stent (a tiny tube placed in a blocked artery) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
While stents offer a minimally invasive way to reopen a blocked artery, bypass surgery also remains a leading treatment for people with complex coronary artery disease (CAD).
What Is CABG?
About 200,000 people in the U.S. each year receive CABG, making it one of the most commonly performed heart surgeries. During CABG, surgeons remove a vein from another part of the body—most commonly the leg—and suture it onto an artery just before and after the blockage, rerouting blood flow to the heart.
“I tell my patients CABG is similar to solving a plumbing problem,” says Tyrone Krause, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC) and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “We’re all born with three major arteries to the heart. We use bypass surgery to give you one, two or three new pipes depending on the number of arteries blocked.”
During CABG, the surgical team puts the patient on a heart-lung machine, which temporarily performs the functions of the heart and lungs. After surgery, patients typically spend four days to one week recovering in the hospital.
Like any surgery, CABG carries some risks. Still, it remains one of the most effective treatments for CAD. “More than 95 percent of the people we operate on have no more chest pain or shortness of breath afterward,” Dr. Krause says.
When CABG Is Recommended
While CABG can successfully treat any blockage, it’s especially recommended for:
- People with a severe blockage in the heart’s largest artery (the left anterior descending artery).
- People with multiple blocked arteries (complex CAD).
“CABG may also be the best option when an artery is too calcified to support a stent, or when it’s technically too difficult to place a stent in an artery,” Dr. Krause explains.
Most patients who undergo CABG will not need blood thinners. Patients who are treated with stents will need to take bloodthinning medication for at least three months to prevent stents from closing. “Sudden closure of the stents can damage the heart muscle,” explains Iosif Gulkarov, MD, Associate Chief of Cardiac Surgery at JCMC and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
“Ask your care team about your overall heart condition, your risk for surgery and your risk of restenosis—a chance of narrowing again—with a stent,” Dr. Krause says. “Use the answers to make the best choice for you.”
A Comprehensive Approach to Heart CareJersey City Medical Center (JCMC) has made continuous investments in its heart program over the past decade. “Today, we provide all aspects of cardiac care, including care for heart failure and atrial fibrillation and lifesaving procedures like cardiac catheterizations and openheart surgery,” says Tyrone Krause, MD. JCMC’s heart team includes surgeons, cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and critical care specialists who provide care 24/7 inside the hospital, from presurgery to recovery. |
Learn more about cardiovascular services at Jersey City Medical Center.