Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery restores blood flow to the heart muscle by routing blood around a blocked or narrowed coronary artery. During the procedure, a surgeon takes a healthy blood vessel from elsewhere in the body (typically the internal mammary artery from the chest wall, or a vein from the leg) and uses it to create a detour around the diseased section.
CABG is most commonly performed to treat severe coronary artery disease (CAD) when arteries are too blocked for angioplasty or stenting. It can relieve angina that has not responded to medication, improve heart function, and in some cases reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Surgery may be recommended after a heart attack if multiple vessels are affected.
The majority of CABG operations are performed on-pump, meaning the heart is temporarily stopped and a heart-lung bypass machine takes over circulation. Off-pump (beating heart) surgery is an alternative used in selected patients where maintaining a beating heart reduces surgical risk.
Recovery typically involves several days in hospital, including time in a critical care or high-dependency unit, followed by weeks of recuperation at home. Cardiac rehabilitation is strongly recommended after CABG and has been shown to improve long-term outcomes, reduce re-admission rates, and support return to daily life.
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