The term "cardiovascular disease" is used to define a wide range of problems that impact the anatomy and function of the heart. Coronary heart disease is a type of heart disease that happens when the heart's arteries can't get enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Under these circumstances, a coronary bypass operation is carried out. It is a surgical treatment for the management of coronary artery disease.
In this blog, Dr. Sujay Shad, the renowned heart surgeon in Delhi, will discuss the surgery's causes, procedure, and aftercare. He will also talk about bypass surgery cost in India.
Keep reading to understand the bypass surgery procedure in detail.
What is Bypass Surgery?
A coronary bypass surgery aims at creating a new route, or bypass, for the oxygenated blood to flow around the blocked artery to reach the heart. For this, the surgeon may take healthy blood vessels, or grafts, from the leg vein, arms, or chest artery. The surgeon attaches one end of the graft just above the blockage and the other end under the blockage. Blood travels through the new graft and around the obstruction to get to the heart muscle.
Why is Bypass Surgery Needed?
Bypass surgery is needed to treat Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). When the coronary arteries, which provide blood to the heart and other parts of the body, get clogged with plaque, it results in CAD.
The deposits of cholesterol and other chemicals in the arteries make up plaque. Plaque formation over time causes the interior of the arteries to narrow, which can partially or completely obstruct the passage of blood via the arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. It can affect any artery and lack of enough blood supply can increase the risk of cardiac failure.
If the coronary arteries narrow or become obstructed to the point where one has a significant risk of having a heart attack, the doctor may advise heart bypass surgery.
Also, if the blockage is too bad to be fixed with medicine or other methods, the doctor may recommend bypass surgery.
The doctor may advise a coronary artery bypass surgery in the following conditions:
- When the left main artery is blocked, which carries most of the blood to the heart muscle.
- When either of the main heart arteries is blocked partially or completely.
- When one suffers severe angina (chest pain) due to narrowed heart arteries.
- When one has several clogged coronary arteries, and the left ventricle is now functioning the way it should.
Who is At the Risk of CAD?
The following conditions may increase a person’s risk of developing coronary artery disease:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Physically inactive
- Use of tobacco or smoking
- Family history of CAD
- High cholesterol levels
- Long-term kidney disease
- Obesity
- Stress
- Unhealthy lifestyle and diet
- Lack of sleep
Preparing for Bypass Surgery
Before the surgery
Coronary bypass surgery is a major surgery and may require many doctor visits and tests before the surgery. One may have to undergo the following tests before the procedure.
- Blood tests
- Chest X-ray
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- Angiogram
Apart from this, one week before the surgery, the patient must stop smoking and stop taking anti-inflammatory or other blood-thinning medicines. The patient will be asked to stop eating or drinking anything the night before the surgery.
During the Surgery
The patient will be provided medicine, fluids, and an anesthetic using an IV. Once the anaesthesia kicks in, the patient will experience no discomfort as they go off to sleep.
- In order to begin, the surgeon makes an incision in the centre of the chest.
- When the surgeon performs heart surgery, the patient will be connected to a cardiopulmonary bypass machine that pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body.
- Certain treatments can be carried out without attaching the patient to a cardiopulmonary bypass machine or "off-pump."
- In order to bypass the narrowed or damaged section of the artery, the surgeon next takes a healthy blood vessel from the legs, chest, or arms. The graft is connected with one end above the obstruction and the other below.
- When the surgeon is done, the bypass is tested to ensure it works. When the bypass has begun to function, the incision will be sewn up, and bandaged.
- After this, the patient will be observed in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Bypass surgery is a complex and major surgery, and the recovery takes time. Dr. Sujay Shad observes his patient in his hospital for at least a week. In some cases, he carries on the remaining post-surgery treatment for about a month or even two until he is sure that his patient is completely fine.
One can visit Dr. Sujay Shad, the top heart surgeon in India, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for any further queries on the topic, like how much bypass surgery cost in India or any other cardiac disease.
