Our Services
Coronary Bypass Surgery
Maintaining a clear passageway is very important in coronary arteries that have become blocked over time by a condition called atherosclerosis, a build-up of fatty deposits and proteins.
Coronary bypass surgery redirects blood flow to the heart by bypassing blocked or narrowed arteries and restores the supply of oxygenated blood to the heart using other arteries or veins as "grafts."
Over 800,000 coronary artery bypass surgeries are performed worldwide every year. Coronary bypass surgeries are possible due to the use of a heart-lung perfusion machine which performs the pumping and oxygenation functions of the heart while tiny arteries and veins are sewn together to create a new path for blood flow.
A minimally invasive bypass or keyhole surgery may be used in some cases. Instead of the patient’s chest being opened and separated at the breastbone, the surgeon makes small incisions between the ribs on the left side of the chest to access the heart.
Click here to watch a video explaining Coronary Artery Bypass.
Before the procedure
- Eat and sleep well before surgery.
- Stop smoking.
- Stop taking ibuprofen and any herbal supplements.
- Do not eat or drink anything twelve hours before your surgery
- Tell your doctor all the medications you are taking including non-prescription drugs and vitamins. Ask if you should stop taking any of these medications before surgery.
- Arrange to have someone take you home after your surgery.
- Tell your medical team if you are taking aspirin or blood thinners.
- Tell your medical team about any food or medicine allergies.
- Report any sicknesses.
- Plan ahead. Arrange your home so you will be comfortable after surgery. Put common items within easy reach. Make sure phone numbers of family and friends and your medical team are easily accessible.
- Arrange for someone to take you to the hospital and drive you home.
- Ask someone to stay with you after your surgery if you live alone.
During the procedure
- You’ll be under general anesthesia, "put to sleep," for the duration of the surgery.
- Your chest will be shaved and disinfected.
- An intravenous catheter, or IV, will be placed in one or both of your arms to provide fluids and medication during and after surgery. Another catheter will be placed in the side of your neck.
- During the bypass operation, surgeons use a blood vessel from another part of your body to construct a detour around the blocked portion of the coronary artery.
After the procedure
- Coronary bypass surgery usually takes 2 to 5 hours.
- After the surgery is completed, the patients usually spend 24 to 72 hours in the intensive care unit followed by 3 to 7 days in a cardiac care discharge unit.
- Be patient if you feel tired. It takes time to regain your energy and appetite.
- Keep your wound clean.
- Some operations may require out-patient cardiac rehabilitation to help recovery.
- Lifting and driving may be restricted for a time.
- Full recovery usually takes 1 to 2 months.
Physicians
Locations
- Albuquerque, 502 Elm Street NE (505) 841-1000
- Santa Fe, 2085 S. Pacheco Street (505) 984-8012