MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Heart bypass surgery

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Heart bypass surgery - series: Procedure, part 2

Heart bypass surgery - seriesIllustrations:

Procedure, part 2

Coronary bypass surgery is an open heart surgery (the chest is opened, but not the heart itself). It is done through an opening through the breast bone. While one surgeon is working on the chest, another surgeon works on taking a length of vein (saphenous vein) for the bypass through a long incision along the inside of the lower leg. The vein is sewn in above and below the blockage in the coronary artery. Alternatively, an artery from the interior aspect of the chest wall (internal mammary artery), or the arm (radial artery) is used.

Update Date: 6/22/2006

Updated by: John A. Daller, MD, PhD., Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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