Bypass Surgery

Overview

Heart surgeons at Mayo Clinic regularly perform more than 1,000 bypass operations each year, using innovative techniques. These innovations allow Mayo surgeons to offer more durable results and to offer bypass as an option to patients not traditionally considered candidates for the procedure. Read more about candidates for surgery.

Surgeons have discovered that when an artery from the inside of the chest wall, the internal thoracic artery, was used instead of saphenous (leg) vein grafts, the bypass stayed open longer. At Mayo Clinic, cardiac surgeons perform bypasses with arteries, such as the internal thoracic artery, whenever possible to reduce the patient's risk of needing another operation.

Newer techniques are resulting in safer bypass surgery, a shorter recovery period, and an increased age at which the procedure can be safely performed. Individuals 80 and older have benefited from bypass surgery. Read more about the details of bypass surgery.

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About bypass surgery

Bypass surgery is the most commonly performed "open heart" operation in the United States. It is a surgical treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD), a hardening and narrowing (atherosclerosis) of the arteries that supply oxygen and nutrients to heart muscle. This condition can result in pain, pressure or discomfort (angina) and can lead to a heart attack (myocardial infarction).

The goal of bypass surgery is not to repair or remove blocked coronary arteries, but to detour blood around a blockage by using arteries or veins from other parts of the body (grafts) to bring oxygen and nutrients to heart muscle. Successful bypass surgery can result in a dramatic increase in blood flow to the heart muscle, reducing the symptoms of coronary artery disease. The procedure can improve a person's quality of life and prolong life, especially when combined with a healthy lifestyle.

Read more about bypass surgery at MayoClinic.com .