Heart bypass surgery

During heart bypass surgery, your surgeon uses a healthy blood vessel from another part of your body, such as your leg, arm, or chest, to create a new pathway around a blocked or narrowed artery. This allows blood to flow more freely to your heart muscle. If multiple arteries are blocked, you may need more than one bypass.

Several surgical approaches can be used to perform heart bypass surgery. Your surgeon will recommend the option that is best for you based on your condition, medical history, and overall health.

• Traditional (on-pump) heart bypass surgery. This is the most common type of heart bypass surgery. The surgeon opens the chest, temporarily stops the heart, and uses a heart-lung machine to circulate blood throughout the body while the bypass is performed.
• Off-pump heart bypass surgery. In this approach, the chest is opened, but the heart continues beating during the procedure. A heart-lung machine is not required.
• Minimally invasive heart bypass surgery. Rather than opening the chest, the surgeon performs the procedure through small incisions between the ribs. This approach may reduce recovery time and typically does not require a heart-lung machine.  
• Robotic-assisted heart bypass surgery. This minimally invasive technique is performed through small incisions in the chest. The surgeon controls specialized instruments attached to robotic arms, allowing for greater precision and flexibility during surgery. A heart-lung machine is typically not required.

After surgery, you will be taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) for close monitoring as your care team manages your recovery. Most patients stay in the hospital for several days before returning home.

Recovery time varies depending on the type of procedure you receive, but most people recover within 6 to 12 weeks. Your surgeon will provide detailed instructions on caring for yourself after surgery, including guidance on activity levels, incision care, medications, and when it is safe to return to your normal routine.

Your care team may also recommend cardiac rehabilitation as part of your recovery. This medically supervised program helps strengthen your heart, improve overall cardiovascular health, and address the factors that contributed to your heart disease. Cardiac rehabilitation typically begins in the hospital and continues after discharge, with in-person and virtual options available. 

Heart bypass surgery may be recommended for people with significant blockages in one or more coronary arteries that are limiting blood flow to the heart. By restoring blood flow, the procedure can help relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, and reduce the risk of future heart-related complications.

Not everyone with coronary artery disease needs bypass surgery. Your care team will consider the severity of your condition, your overall health, and how well other treatments have worked. Heart bypass surgery may be recommended when other treatments are not effective or when severe coronary artery disease requires urgent treatment.