Bypass surgery can be a lifesaving medical procedure.
Heart disease is a serious medical condition, but coronary artery bypass surgery can drastically improve the lives of patients who suffer from clogged arteries. Multiple bypasses can be done in one surgical procedure.
Reasons
Bypass surgery becomes necessary when the arteries that carry blood to the heart become clogged. Plaque builds up in the arteries, which slows and in some cases stops blood flow. This condition can result in chest pain or a heart attack.
Definition
Bypass surgery is technically known as coronary artery bypass surgery. This is a surgical procedure that relieves angina and coronary artery disease. A successful outcome will significantly reduce the risk of death from coronary disease.
Process
The surgeon uses veins or arteries from other parts of the patient's body, like the leg. These veins are grafted onto the patient's coronary arteries to bypass the clogged area. This improves blood flow to the heart.
Types
The difference between a triple and a quadruple bypass is simply how many bypasses are done. A quadruple bypass means that each of the four major arteries supplying the heart required a bypass. A triple bypass means only three of the four arteries were clogged. It is possible to have a single or double bypass as well.
History
The first bypass surgery was done on May 2, 1960. It was performed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York. The doctor who led the team was Dr. Robert Goetz.
Tags: Bypass surgery, coronary artery, artery bypass, artery bypass surgery, blood flow, bypass means