HEART OPERATION

When coronary arteries are blocked the common method is to go for bypass surgery of heart. A new pathway will be provided for the blood to flow to the heart muscles. During Coronary bypass surgery a blood vessel is removed from one part of the body and placed around the blocked artery and stitched. The substitute tubes may be taken from chest, forearm, leg.

The removal of the blood vessel will not cause any problem to that area because other blood vessels existing in those areas will compensate. The location from where the graft tube to be taken will be decided by the surgeon depending on the size of blocks, artery and location.

There are mainly four locations for removal of graft tube for bypass surgery. Internal mammary arteries also known as thoracic arteries. It is located in the chest and can be accessed by primary incision. This graft will remain in the original spot.

Saphenous veins. These veins are removed from leg and stitched below the spot of blockage in the heart. With minimal invasive saphenous vein removal less scarring and fast recovery will result.

Radial artery from the forearm. Most of the people get profuse blood supply through ulnar artery. Removal of radial artery will not cause major problem.

Traditional bypass surgery of heart. On pump bypass surgery. The surgeon makes an incision for a length of 8 inches in the center of breast bone to have direct access to the heart. Heart lung pump is used to circulate blood while the heart is stopped for any operation.

The heart pump may be kept in operation for maximum 90 minutes during an operation lasting for 5 to 6 hours. After surgery the surgeon closes the breast using special wire clips and traditional stitches.

Off pump surgery. It does not use heart lung machine rather adopt latest technique to stop function at the required spot. Thus heart will be functioning while the surgeon fixes graft tubes on to the heart. Minimally invasive bypass surgery

With an incision of 3 inches certain bypass surgery is carried out. In certain cases robots are used to conduct bypass surgery. In this case a small hole is just required as in the case of angiography. This type of surgery results in minimum bleeding, quick recovery, shorter stay in the hospital, less pain and trauma.