FOR INTRPRETERS HEART BY PASS SURGERY

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-bypass-surgery Heart Disease and Heart Bypass Surgery In this article Which Blood Vessels Are Used for Grafts in Heart Bypass Surgery? How Is Traditional Heart Bypass Surgery Performed? What Is Off-Pump Heart Bypass Surgery? What Is Minimally Invasive Heart Bypass Surgery? Heart bypass surgery can be used to treat heart disease when your coronary arteries are blocked. Your doctor may treat the problem by giving the blood a new pathway to the heart. During coronary artery bypass graft surgery (also called CABG, or "cabbage"), a blood vessel is removed or redirected from one area of the body and placed around the area or areas of narrowing in order to "bypass" the blockages and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. This vessel is called a graft. Recommended Related to Heart DiseaseAcute Myocardial Infarcation (Heart Attack) Patient Education Center Visit WebMD's Heart Disease Health Center Newly Diagnosed? Find out more Heart Attack: Get Information From the Cleveland Clinic Cardiac Rehabilitation: Get Information From the Cleveland Clinic Looking for Clinical Trials? Check here Cholesterol Facts Test Your Heart Attack Knowledge Reach Out: Heart Disease ... Read the Acute Myocardial Infarcation (Heart Attack) Patient Education Center article > > These substitute blood vessels can come from your chest, legs, or arms. They're safe to use because there are other pathways that take blood to and from those tissues. The surgeon will decide which graft(s) to use depending on the location of your blockage, the amount of blockage and the size of your coronary arteries. Heart bypass surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the U.S. Which Blood Vessels Are Used for Grafts in Heart Bypass Surgery? There are several types of bypass grafts used for heart bypass surgery. The surgeon decides which graft(s) to use, based on the location of the blockage, the amount of blockage, and the size of the patient's coronary arteries. •Internal mammary arteries (also called thoracic arteries). These are the most common bypass grafts used, as they have been shown to have the best long-term results. In most cases, these arteries can be kept intact at their origin since they have their own oxygen-rich blood supply. During the procedure, the arteries are sewn to the coronary artery below the site of blockage. This artery is located in the chest and can be accessed through the primary incision for the bypass surgery. •Saphenous veins. These veins are removed from your leg, and then sewn from your aorta to the coronary artery below the site of blockage. Minimally invasive saphenous vein removal may be performed and results in less scarring and a faster recovery. •Radial artery. There are two arteries in the lower part of the arm, the ulnar and radial arteries. Most people receive adequate blood flow to their hand from the ulnar artery alone and will not have any side effects if the radial artery is removed and used as a graft. Careful preoperative and intraoperative tests determine if the radial artery can be used. If you have certain conditions (such as Raynaud's, carpal tunnel syndrome, or painful fingers in cold air) you may not be a candidate for this type of bypass graft. The radial artery incision is in your forearm, about 2 inches from your elbow and ending about 1 inch from your wrist. Some people report numbness in the wrist after surgery. However, long-term sensory loss or numbness is uncommon. •The gastroepiploic artery to the stomach and the inferior epigastric artery to the abdominal wall are less commonly used for grafting. It is common for three or four coronary arteries to be bypassed during surgery. A coronary artery bypass can be performed with traditional surgery (see below) or with minimally invasive surgery (see below). Your surgeon will review your diagnostic tests prior to your surgery to see if you are a candidate for minimally invasive bypass surgery.