Recently my uncle was asked to undergo the Coronary bypass surgery. Any family would panic hearing this news, and so did we. We had no doctors in our family to make us understand what a heart bypass surgery is. We were scared. At that point I decided to do some research on the Internet and share this news with my friends through this blog, so that, all, at least those who read this will become more aware.
Creating awareness is my main motto here. Not everyone knows about Coronary bypass and I felt it like it is my duty to spread the news and create some awareness. There are a lot of websites and articles about this but let me just brief you on the
- What?
- How?
- Who?
Photo from : UMM.EDU
What is Coronary artery bypass surgery?
This is a medical term used for the bypass surgery performed on a patient whose heart stops functioning or is suffering from severe heart attack. Not all will be asked to undergo this surgery. This surgery will be done only when the coronary arteries are blocked by fat and cholesterol which in turn stops the blood flow to the heart causing in severe heart pain or makes the heart to stop functioning.
How is the surgery performed?
There are different methods followed. It depends on the patent's condition and also the Doctors preference. But I found this procedure in Wiki,
1.The patient is brought to the operating room and moved onto the operating table.
2.An anaesthetist places a variety of intravenous lines and injects an induction agent (usually propofol) to render the person unconscious.
3.An endotracheal tube is inserted and secured by the anesthetist or assistant (e.g. respiratory therapist or nurse anesthetist) and mechanical ventilation is started.
4.The chest is opened via a median sternotomy and the heart is examined by the surgeon.
5.The bypass grafts are harvested - frequent conduits are the internal thoracic arteries, radial arteries and saphenous veins. When harvesting is done, the patient is given heparin to prevent the blood from clotting.
6.In the case of "off-pump" surgery, the surgeon places devices to stabilize the heart.
7.If the case is "on-pump", the surgeon sutures cannulae into the heart and instructs the perfusionist to start cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Once CPB is established, the surgeon places the aortic cross-clamp across the aorta and instructs the perfusionist to deliver cardioplegia to stop the heart.
8.One end of each graft is sewn onto the coronary arteries beyond the blockages and the other end is attached to the aorta.
9.The heart is restarted; or in "off-pump" surgery, the stabilizing devices are removed. In some cases, the Aorta is partially occluded by a C shaped clamp, the heart is restarted and suturing of the grafts to the aorta is done in this partially occluded section of the aorta while the heart is beating.
10.Protamine is given to reverse the effects of heparin.
11.The sternum is wired together and the incisions are sutured closed.
12.The person is moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) to recover. After awakening and stabilizing in the ICU (approximately 1 day), the person is transferred to the cardiac surgery ward until ready to go home (approximately 4 days).
Who can be a victim for this?
- Diabetic patients are more prone to this.
- Women has a higher risk
- Old people, by old I mean people who are 70 years or more.
- A person with history heart problems
- Obese person
More information can be found on the Internet or you can discuss about the causes and effects with your doctor. Hope these information was useful and helped to create awareness. There is nothing to be deeply worried, technologies have improved and so is our possibilities to survive. Do share your thoughts and experiences with us.
Creating awareness is my main motto here. Not everyone knows about Coronary bypass and I felt it like it is my duty to spread the news and create some awareness. There are a lot of websites and articles about this but let me just brief you on the
- What?
- How?
- Who?
Photo from : UMM.EDU
What is Coronary artery bypass surgery?
This is a medical term used for the bypass surgery performed on a patient whose heart stops functioning or is suffering from severe heart attack. Not all will be asked to undergo this surgery. This surgery will be done only when the coronary arteries are blocked by fat and cholesterol which in turn stops the blood flow to the heart causing in severe heart pain or makes the heart to stop functioning.
How is the surgery performed?
There are different methods followed. It depends on the patent's condition and also the Doctors preference. But I found this procedure in Wiki,
1.The patient is brought to the operating room and moved onto the operating table.
2.An anaesthetist places a variety of intravenous lines and injects an induction agent (usually propofol) to render the person unconscious.
3.An endotracheal tube is inserted and secured by the anesthetist or assistant (e.g. respiratory therapist or nurse anesthetist) and mechanical ventilation is started.
4.The chest is opened via a median sternotomy and the heart is examined by the surgeon.
5.The bypass grafts are harvested - frequent conduits are the internal thoracic arteries, radial arteries and saphenous veins. When harvesting is done, the patient is given heparin to prevent the blood from clotting.
6.In the case of "off-pump" surgery, the surgeon places devices to stabilize the heart.
7.If the case is "on-pump", the surgeon sutures cannulae into the heart and instructs the perfusionist to start cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Once CPB is established, the surgeon places the aortic cross-clamp across the aorta and instructs the perfusionist to deliver cardioplegia to stop the heart.
8.One end of each graft is sewn onto the coronary arteries beyond the blockages and the other end is attached to the aorta.
9.The heart is restarted; or in "off-pump" surgery, the stabilizing devices are removed. In some cases, the Aorta is partially occluded by a C shaped clamp, the heart is restarted and suturing of the grafts to the aorta is done in this partially occluded section of the aorta while the heart is beating.
10.Protamine is given to reverse the effects of heparin.
11.The sternum is wired together and the incisions are sutured closed.
12.The person is moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) to recover. After awakening and stabilizing in the ICU (approximately 1 day), the person is transferred to the cardiac surgery ward until ready to go home (approximately 4 days).
Who can be a victim for this?
- Diabetic patients are more prone to this.
- Women has a higher risk
- Old people, by old I mean people who are 70 years or more.
- A person with history heart problems
- Obese person
More information can be found on the Internet or you can discuss about the causes and effects with your doctor. Hope these information was useful and helped to create awareness. There is nothing to be deeply worried, technologies have improved and so is our possibilities to survive. Do share your thoughts and experiences with us.
