A procedure to detour around obstructions in the arteries providing blood to the heart. Bypass surgery, known technically as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), is used to treat atherosclerosis, a disease in which deposits of fat and other materials clog the arteries, causing angina (chest pain) and often leading to heart attack. Bypass surgery is the treatment of choice when a simpler approach to treating blocked arteries, such as medication or balloon angioplasty, is insufficient. A major procedure performed under general anesthesia, bypass takes about 3 to 6 hours to complete, depending on the complexity of the case. Most commonly, bypass surgery is recommended for people with debilitating angina, blockage of the left main coronary artery, impaired function of the left ventricle (the heart’s main pump), or multiple blockages in the coronary arteries.
A surgical intervention involving the transplantation of blood vessels onto arteries, with the aim of redirecting blood circulation around obstructions caused by arteriosclerosis.