Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHeart AnatomyWhy It’s DoneHow It’s DoneRecoveryNext in Open Heart Surgery GuideHow to Prepare for Open Heart Surgery
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Heart Anatomy
Why It’s Done
How It’s Done
Recovery
Next in Open Heart Surgery Guide
This article explains the goals of this procedure and walks you through the steps leading up to it. It also describes what to expect during recovery and some common lifestyle changes after surgery.
Verywell / Tim Liedtke
Anatomy of the Heart
The heart’s muscle pumps to keep blood moving throughout the body.
The heart, like every tissue of the human body, needs oxygen and nutrients so it can do its work. The coronary arteries are blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood.Sometimes these blood vessels can become blocked.
Purpose of Quadruple Bypass
The coronary arteries can become blocked when plaque builds up inside the blood vessels. This condition is known ascoronary artery disease.
If the blockage in the coronary artery is severe, it can interfere with blood flow to a section of the heart muscle and cause chest pain, also known asangina.It is possible to have several arteries blocked at the same time, which can pose a significant risk to the heart.
Usually, the chest pain occurs during physical exertion. This is because the demand for oxygen in the heart is greater. The narrowed vessels are not able to meet the increase in the heart muscle’s needs. That is when the chest pain will begin.
If the blockage severely or completely prevents blood from flowing to a part of the heart muscle, a heart attack may occur.
In many cases, coronary artery disease can be treated with medication or lifestyle changes. It may also be treated with a minimally invasive surgical procedure, such asangioplasty. A stent, a tube that holds the artery open to restore blood flow, may be placed in the artery.
What Causes Plaque in the Arteries?
Potential Risks
Success Rate
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What to Expect on the Day of Surgery
This helps the surgical team complete the graft portion of the surgery safely and quickly. The machine supplies oxygen to the blood instead of the lungs doing so. It pumps the oxygenated blood through the body as the heart would normally do.
During surgery, the blood vessels are attached to the existing heart vessel, around the areas of blockage. It’s similar to a quick detour you might take to avoid traffic, with the blood literally rerouted around the blocked portion of the cardiac artery.
How Long Does a Quadruple Bypass Take?
What’s the Recovery Process Like?
The recovery from open-heart surgery is not a quick one. The first day after surgery is typically spent in the ICU or a cardiac care unit. There, you will wake up slowly from anesthesia.
Open-heart patients typically spend three or more days in the hospital prior to being discharged. They are then referred tocardiac rehabilitation, a structured and monitored exercise program that is designed to strengthen the heart.
The typical recovery lasts between six and 12 weeks. Most people are able to return to their usual activities after recovery is complete.
The major benefits will become more clear toward the end of the recovery phase when the pain from the surgery itself goes away.
After surgery, it’s important to take all medications as prescribed and work on lifestyle changes that will keep the new grafts open and working well. These changes may include aheart-healthy diet, with limits on saturated fat and cholesterol.
What Is the Survival Rate of a Quadruple Bypass Surgery?
Summary
The surgery has its risks, so it is done only when the benefits outweigh those risks. People who have the procedure usually stay in the hospital for a few days. Recovery may take up to 12 weeks.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Goodwill AG, Dick GM, Kiel AM, Tune JD.Regulation of coronary blood flow.Compr Physiol. 2017;7(2):321–382. doi:10.1002/cphy.c160016
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About coronary artery disease (CAD).
Agewall S.New guidelines for angina pectoris.Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2014;134(5):510. doi:10.4045/tidsskr.13.1552
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Angioplasty and stent placement for the heart.
YaleMedicine.General anesthesia.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart surgery risks.
Azarfarin R, Ashouri N, Totonchi Z, Bakhshandeh H, Yaghoubi A.Factors influencing prolonged ICU stay after open heart surgery.Res Cardiovasc Med. 2014;3(4):e20159. doi:10.5812/cardiovascmed.20159
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