Coronary artery bypass surgery is a fairly common and successful procedure in India, with an average of 1 50,000 performed every year. You may be recommended bypass surgery if the arteries are narrowed or blocked the procedure helps restore blood flow to the heart. Read on to learn more about coronary artery bypass surgery, including what happens during the procedure, surgery time and cost, success rate, and post-surgery care.
What Is Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as bypass surgery, is a procedure to treat coronary artery disease. In this condition, the coronary arteries become narrow or blocked due to a buildup of fatty materials within the artery walls. The buildup of fatty materials limits the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle, thereby causing severe chest pain.
During the procedure, the surgeon bypasses the blocked portion of the artery by taking a healthy blood vessel from the chest, leg area, or wrist to the heart muscle, thereby ensuring regular blood flow.
Who Needs Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?
The surgery is an emergency procedure recommended for a heart attack. As earlier said, it is done to treat blocked or narrowed arteries. Your doctor may recommend bypass surgery if you have a blockage in the left main artery or are experiencing severe narrowing of the main heart artery. Sometimes, patients may experience severe chest pain if several of the heart’s arteries are narrowed. The doctor may also recommend bypass surgery as a remedy when angioplasty has failed, and the artery has narrowed again.
Some signs of a blocked or narrowed artery include chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, indigestion, and oedema in the hands and feet.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Procedure
The surgery is a planned procedure, so you must check in a day before the surgery for heart and blood tests. The doctor begins by administering anaesthesia to ensure you are relaxed for the rest of the procedure. Since this is an intensive process, you will be connected to various life support systems, such as intubation, ventilation, and a heart-lung bypass machine.
During the surgery, the doctor makes an extended cut in the centre of the chest to open the rib cage and access the chest. They’ll then split the sternum down to the middle and lift the rib cage to access the heart. The doctor then temporarily stops the heart and connects it to the heart-lung machine, which pumps blood and oxygen through the body.
The surgeon then removes a section of healthy blood vessels from the leg, wrist, or insides of the chest wall. They attach the ends of the blood vessel, aka graft, below and above the blocked heart artery, thereby allowing blood to flow through the blockage. Sometimes, patients may need more than one graft during the surgery.
Sometimes, the doctor does not use a heart-lung machine but performs the surgery on the beating heart. This is called off-pump CABG and is very risky. Operating on a beating heart is not suitable for everyone.
In some cases, the doctor may perform a minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery, also called keyhole surgery. During this process, the surgeon makes smaller incisions to access the heart through the gaps in the rib cage. Robot-assisted bypass surgery uses highly advanced robots to make smaller incisions and doesn’t involve lifting the sternum.
The surgery takes around 3 to 6 hours, depending on how many arteries are blocked.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Cost
The average cost of coronary artery bypass surgery in India ranges from INR 1,00,000 to INR 4,50,000, depending on the severity of the patient’s condition, the number of blocked arteries, the surgeon’s experience, and the type of metal used to reinforce the breastbone. The cost also depends on the hospital where the patient chooses to perform the surgery.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Success Rate and Risks
The surgery is a fairly successful procedure but involves a few risks as well. This includes atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats abnormally fast, infection, hampered kidney function, and even heart attack. Patients with other serious long-term complications, like diabetes and COPD, are prone to these complications. The risks are also imminent among patients scheduled for three or more vessel grafting, as the surgeon must make a deeper cut to access the heart.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Aftercare
Patients who undergo bypass surgery will need several weeks to recover. During this time, they must avoid strenuous activities to avoid stressing the heart and incisions. They must also maintain a healthy lifestyle and maintain blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They must avoid smoke, alcohol, and processed food and limit their sugar intake. And they must remember to get good sleep.
Finding The Best Coronary Artery Bypass Surgeon in Nagercoil
Visit Calwin Hospitals if you are looking for a heart care hospital in Nagercoil. We are a team of experienced surgeons with successful treatment outcomes for thousands of patients across the country.