Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

During the Surgery

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

The open-heart surgery team consists of several members:

1. Anesthesiologist, who will constantly monitor your vital signss during the procedure to keep you asleep and pain free.
2. Perfusionist, who operates the heart lung machine that keeps your blood circulating through your body while the surgeon is operating on your heart.
3. Surgical assistants, who help the surgeon perform the operation
4. Several specially trained nurses.

To get to your heart the surgeon makes an incision down the middle of your chest and separates your breastbone. Your blood will be circulated with the help of a heart lung machine. The bypass vessel is removed from your chest, arm or leg and one end of the vessel is sewn to an opening in the coronary artery below the blockage. The entire bypass procedure, from preparation through surgery, can take anywhere from four to six hours.

Title Page