Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed
First Published: August 2004
Last Revised: August 2004

Coronary artery bypass grafting or CABG is a surgical procedure that creates a new pathway for blood to travel around a blocked heart artery. A blood vessel, which is often called a graft, serves as the conduit through which blood passes around the blockage. This conduit may be taken from your chest wall, arm or leg.

Risks of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Coronary artery bypass grafting is a major operation. As with all surgical procedures, there are some risks associated with the procedure itself as well as anesthesia used to help you sleep. Some of these may include:

• Breathing problems or other types of lung complications
• Bleeding
• Infection of the wound
• Change in heart rhythm
• Heart attack, stroke, or death

More Information

• During the surgery
• Home care instructions for patients
• Day before surgery
• After Surgery
• On the day of discharge
• Return Clinic Visit