Coronary Bypass Surgery

Types

Mayo Clinic surgeons have expertise with several types of coronary bypass surgery, including traditional, off-pump and minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. A surgeon with training in heart surgery (cardiac surgeon) evaluates you and conducts thorough testing. The surgeon then discusses appropriate surgical options with you.

• Traditional coronary bypass surgery. In traditional coronary bypass surgery, the heart is stopped and a heart-lung machine (cardiopulmonary bypass machine) takes over the work of your heart and lungs while the surgeon performs the bypass procedure.
• Off-pump coronary bypass surgery. During off-pump coronary bypass surgery, special devices stabilize your heart during surgery. Not everyone is a candidate for off-pump coronary bypass surgery.


Minimally invasive heart surgery

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• Minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. In minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery surgeons make small incisions in the side of your chest to reach your heart. Generally, these incisions heal quicker and are associated with less discomfort than the larger incision made in traditional bypass surgery. At Mayo Clinic, surgeons treat many heart problems using minimally invasive heart surgery.




Cardiac surgeons at Mayo Clinic perform several types of minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery, including:

• Robot-assisted coronary bypass surgery. Surgeons view your heart's anatomy in a magnified view on a video monitor using a robotic system, and the surgeon precisely controls the surgical instruments during the procedure.
• Port-access robot-assisted minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. The surgeon inserts a long, thin tube containing a tiny high-definition video camera and special instruments to perform the bypass surgery through small incisions between your ribs.
• Hybrid surgery. Surgeons may perform hybrid surgery if you are a candidate for bypass surgery and a procedure to place a tube (stent) in an artery (angioplasty). In hybrid surgery, a surgeon performs minimally invasive bypass surgery on the coronary arteries, in conjunction with the cardiologist who performs angioplasty on other arteries to prevent future blockages.

Minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery is an option only if you have blockages that can be treated through small incisions and if your risk of complications is low.